As the world waits patiently for the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, it seems to be a fertile environment for those members of society who are the anti vaccine naysayers, breeding suspicion and indeed violence and using social media to propagate their ill informed and dangerous opinions. There is growing evidence of vaccine delays or refusals due to a lack of trust in the importance, safety, or effectiveness of vaccines, alongside persisting access issues. de Figueiredo A et al [Lancet 2020;396 (10255):898–908. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31558-0] have mapped vaccine confidence across 149 countries between 2015 and 2019. Their Vaccine Confidence Project (VCP) was established in 2010 with an aim to develop …