Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and National Security – A Serbian Case Study.

Drawing on the research findings of the survey and a review of the scientific and professional literature, this paper seeks to indicate a correlation between vaccine hesitancy and national security. On the one hand, the paper argues that health is of particular concern to the modern sovereign state and its security, and that the vaccine as a civilizational achievement is one of the most vital mechanisms for safeguarding public health and, by extension, national security. On the other hand, the paper contends that vaccine hesitancy should also be considered a threat to national security. What vaccine hesitancy means and what factors contribute to it is something of a blind spot in Serbia’s public and academic discourse. The survey findings have shown that vaccine hesitancy is influenced by various factors and conclude that Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy in Serbia can be considered a threat to national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]