(2017), A Tale of two vaccines, cit. p. 169. A similar case, which has been studied extensively in the literature, is the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which is administered to teenage girls and which in several countries led to a storm of controversy, a rejection of vaccination mandates, and a low take-up ratio.
Several empirical studies have found that the different propensity to vaccinate one’s own children is not explained by the level of scientific literacy – on the contrary, ‘the individuals who are highest in science comprehension are likely to be the most polarized’ – but above all by the values of one’s social group: ‘those who prize both traditional gender roles and also the autonomy of the individuals to make their decision about how to provide for the wellbeing of themselves and their families, tended to perceive that the vaccine’s risks outweighed its benefits’.