Rooted in data, driven by humanity.
What we do
The Vaccine Confidence Project™ (VCP) was established in 2010 by Professor Heidi Larson at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to better understand growing vaccine scepticism around the world.
The VCP was the first research group to map and monitor public confidence in vaccination at a global scale and remains the only research group fully dedicated to understanding the roots, trends over time, and impacts of vaccine confidence.
By listening to early signs of public distrust and providing risk analysis and guidance, we aim to engage early to prevent potential programme disruptions and support vaccination rates.
About the VCP
Latest research projects
The VCP conducts global research, investigating the roots, trends over time and impacts of vaccine confidence at regional, national and sub-national levels.
We partnered with Wits Vida, the Vaccine Confidence Fund, and PHRU to study how much, if at all, social media and community influencers can influence and increase uptake of influenza vaccines.
Strengthen national training curricula and integrate targeted, culturally grounded interpersonal communication practices into training curricula for health workers in ECARO countries.
Mixed method study to examine adult and HCP confidence in vaccination in Eastern Europe (Balkans, Caucasus, Central Asia).
Mixed method study to explore risk perceptions and emotional determinants of health around COVID-19 and influenza vaccination in Europe.
Vaccine Confidence Index
Our team has conducted research in over 150 countries from 2015 to the present, helping to identify critical global trends in vaccine confidence with implications for global health.
Explore the map
The first thing to do if someone expresses uncertainty about vaccines to you, say researchers, is not to judge or dismiss them. A lot of people have genuine and legitimate questions and “you’re going to lose them if you immediately jump back and say ‘that’s silly’ or ‘that’s not the fact’”, Larson says.
Join us for the LSHTM Vaccine Centre’s Annual Lecture with Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, exploring practical tools to address vaccine hesitancy. Discover the Empathetic Refutational Interview (ERI) — a proven, human-centred approach for building trust and countering misinformation.
19 May 2025 | 17:30 BST | John Snow Lecture Theatre A
A new 70-country survey by The Global Listening Project, the VCP’s sister initiative, reveals that while people are demanding better healthcare and more information, trust in vaccines and institutions has declined in 9 out of 10 countries. Professor Heidi Larson speaks to Vaccines Today about the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic on vaccine uptake.
“A lot of people had no clue how toxic the [vaccine misinformation] environment was,” says Heidi Larson, who studies vaccine hesitancy at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “People who were taking vaccines for granted got exposed [to misinformation], and now there’s no turning back.”