Lithuanians’ perceptions of vaccination and their sources of information: a literature review

ENObjectives. Attitudes toward vaccination are important drivers of vaccination decisions and behavior. But researchers have pointed to the shortage of such studies on Eastern Europe. Methods. A literature review of 14 survey studies was conducted. Results. The review showed that Lithuanians’ attitudes toward vaccines appear to be volatile with considerable discrepancy between views about the importance of vaccines and their perceived effectiveness and safety. Perceptions of vaccine risks are high, with Lithuanians challenging both specific vaccines (children’s, flu) and vaccination in general. Lithuanians’ perceptions of vaccine importance are among the lowest in the EU (23rd out of 28 countries). Conclusions. Lithuanians do not entirely reject vaccines, but many are worried about their health impact. More studies are needed to explore vaccine perceptions in Lithuania and potential factors shaping those, like media representations.