Mia-Marie Hammarlin, a researcher at Lund University, has focused her studies on Nordic vaccine skeptics during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a multinational research team. She suggests that society is moving towards a postmodern direction characterized by distrust towards experts, science, universities, and authorities. People are selective in their acceptance of vaccines; they might reject one type but agree to take another under different circumstances. Hammarlin uses the term 'vaccine doubters' to refer to individuals who are increasingly questioning the information provided by health authorities.

In her research, Hammarlin indicates that those who are skeptical about vaccines are often well-informed. They tend to seek support for their views from medical research, suggesting that skepticism is not always the result of ignorance. Notably, some skeptics fear the side effects of vaccines more than the risks associated with contracting the diseases they aim to prevent. This perspective often complicates public health messaging and vaccine uptake in communities.

The ongoing global situation shows an uptick in diseases like measles, indicating a potential return of such illnesses due to declining vaccination rates among skeptics. This scenario emphasizes the need for effective communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and to reassure the public about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, particularly in the context of returning diseases that were previously under control through vaccination efforts.