Abstract
The study investigates the social, cultural and political explanations that shape vaccine hesitancy among young people, considered to be the most hesitant group to vaccinate, in the township New Rest located in Butterworth, Eastern Cape. To do this it examines the extent young people’s views on the risk of vaccinating is shaped by family or friends’ views on the risk of vaccinating; assesses whether they perceive vaccination as a priority compared to other issues faced by the community such as unemployment; and finally their views on trust in the government’s vaccination programme. A qualitative methodological approach was employed consisting of sample size of 25 participants who were sampled using purposive sampling. The data for this study was collected through semi-structured conversational interviews and the data thematically analysed. The following key findings were drawn from the study- Firstly, young people from Butterworth perceived vaccinating as principally risky, and as something that endangers people’s lives. Secondly, the study revealed that as a result of having conversations about vaccines and vaccination the influence of family and friends does shape and contribute to the vaccination decisions made by young people. Another key finding included the influence of social media and its contribution to vaccine hesitancy amongst this group. While for some young people the research also showed that culture and cultural practices influenced their hesitancy to vaccinate. Finally, the findings highlighted that some young people were suspicious of the government’s intention of encouraging people to vaccinate due to their lack of trust in the government. From these findings, the study concluded that social, cultural and political factors do play a role and contribute to vaccine hesitancy among young people in Butterworth.