Giving Compass' Take:

• A global study on attitudes toward vaccines indicates that people in some regions around the world have low trust in the effectiveness of immunizations.

• How will low trust on a global scale impact global disease prevention efforts? How can health campaigns calibrate to meet the needs of communities with low "herd immunity?"

• Read about how global vaccines are a high impact opportunity.

Public mistrust of vaccines means the world is taking a step backwards in the fight against deadly yet preventable infectious diseases, warn experts.

The biggest global study into attitudes on immunisation suggests confidence is low in some regions. The Wellcome Trust analysis includes responses from more than 140,000 people in over 140 countries.

The World Health Organization lists vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 threats to global health.

The global survey reveals the number of people who say they have little confidence or trust in vaccination.

When asked if vaccines were safe:

  • 79% "somewhat" or "strongly" agreed
  • 7% somewhat or strongly disagreed
  • 14% neither agreed nor disagreed

When asked if they believed vaccines worked:

  • 84% agree either strongly or somewhat
  • 5% either strongly or somewhat disagree
  • 12% neither agreed nor disagreed

There is overwhelming scientific evidence that vaccination is the best defence against deadly and debilitating infections, such as measles.

Dr Ann Lindstrand, an expert in immunisation at the WHO, said the current situation was extremely serious.

"Vaccine hesitancy has the potential, at least in some places, to really hinder the very real progress the world has made in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases," she said.

Read the full article about global vaccinations by Michelle Roberts at BBC.