Despite decades of progress in immunization, vaccine hesitancy continues to challenge health systems across the United States. While senior healthcare executives are well-versed in the clinical and operational implications, the evolving landscape of vaccine acceptance demands renewed attention.
Vaccine hesitancy is complex and context specific, varying across time, place and vaccines. It is influenced by factors such as complacency, convenience and confidence:
Confidence
- Reflects the level of trust in:
- The safety and effectiveness of vaccines
- Healthcare institutions and providers
- Policymakers who decide which vaccines are needed
Complacency
- Occurs when the perceived risks of vaccine preventable diseases are low, and vaccination is not deemed necessary.
Convenience
- Can be impacted by factors such as access (physical, geographical), affordability and language barriers.
Recent CDC data shows that measles-mumps-rubella vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergarteners has dropped below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks. This decline has possibly contributed to a resurgence of measles, with a total of 1,544 confirmed measles cases reported in the U. S., including 191 hospitalizations and three deaths through September 2025. The overall vaccine coverage rate for influenza vaccinations has also been declining across all age groups. With respiratory season now upon us, it is timely for healthcare providers to educate patients on the role vaccines can play in protecting against preventable diseases such as flu, RSV and COVID-19.
Health systems and life science companies both share the same goal of positively impacting public health. Some examples include improving population health, enhancing care quality and closing immunization gaps. Life science companies bring unique expertise to these issues.
Healthcare information technology and automation play a critical role in improving vaccination rates and supporting population health strategies. When integrated into electronic health records, automation may assist with:
- Analyzing immunization data to identify gaps and trends.
- Educating patients through portals and automated messaging.
- Reminding providers and patients about upcoming or overdue vaccinations.
- Assisting with scheduling vaccine appointments.
- Supporting documentation, billing and reporting for quality metrics.
To achieve organizational immunization goals, senior health system executives may consider the following strategies:
- Assess immunization gaps using EHR and population health data.
- Optimize healthcare information technology systems to support reminders, scheduling, education and analytics.
- Integrate vaccine outreach into chronic care and transitional care programs.
- Leverage community health workers to address social barriers and build trust.
- Monitor performance metrics tied to immunization rates and quality outcomes.
As an ACHE Premier Corporate Partner, Sanofi supports health system leaders in addressing vaccine hesitancy and improving immunization rates. Sanofi invites you to download the Vaccine Hesitancy Toolkit, where you will find actionable tools for provider education, patient engagement, strategic planning and healthcare information technology optimization.
Insights provided by Sanofi.
A Premier Corporate Partner of ACHE, Sanofi is an innovative global healthcare company driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. For more information, visit ache.org/Sanofi.
MAT-US-2511724-v2.0-11/2025