Moral Economies of Trust: Navigating Vaccination in Marginalized and Religious Communities (Ben Kasstan-Dabush)

The presentation was delivered and recorded during the 10th Lifecourse Prevention Summit 2025

In this briefing, Ben Kasstan-Dabush examines the concept of moral economies of trust in the context of vaccination, challenging the framing of religion as a distinct form of vaccine hesitancy. Drawing on research conducted with ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities in London, he shows that vaccination decisions in these communities are shaped primarily by gender roles, social networks, and relationships — not religious doctrine — and that treating religious authorities as the default point of engagement can miss the real drivers of uptake. Kasstan-Dabush also highlights how well-intentioned efforts at culturally appropriate care can inadvertently reinforce exclusion, using examples of HPV vaccine information being removed from community materials under paternalistic assumptions. He presents community-based approaches that have shown promise — including co-produced health communications, faith-based health networks, and trusted community voices — while noting that sustaining these initiatives requires long-term public health investment that has been consistently undermined by austerity. His central message is that communities have a genuine capacity for change and a stake in these conversations, and that sharing responsibility for community health requires dedicated support, not short-term projects. This session further explores the subject in depth, highlighting key takeaways, implications for policy and practice, and insights from the expert presenter to help inform future strategies.