Dr. Maya Goldenberg, a professor in the Department of Philosophy, spoke to National Geographic about how serious vaccine side effects may increase hesitancy about getting vaccinated against COVID-19.  

“Vaccine hesitancy stems from a lack of public trust,” she said, adding that knowing vaccines are safe and effective and that people will be cared for in the rare situations where serious side effects occur are integral factors in the decision. 

Goldenberg, the author of Vaccine Hesitancy: Public Trust, Expertise, and the War on Science, specializes in the philosophy of science and medicine and has long examined why some people become wary of science and hesitant over vaccines.