I totally agree, and I have felt the same way for YEARS about the word refuse, as in "refusing vaccination". It's designed to.make it seem like an act of defiance.

However in defense of the author of the article:

"The researchers analysed more than 5 million survey responses by a range of different demographic details, and classed those people who would “probably” or “definitely” not choose to get vaccinated as “vaccine hesitant.”"

And

" found that in the first five months of 2021, the largest decrease in hesitancy was among the least educated — those with a high school education or less."

The people with minimal education who did not want to get vaccinated at the begining but eventually did were by definition, hesitant.

People who would definitely not are not hesitant but people who would probably not are hesitant. The article says both groups were classified as hesitant by the researchers.so that is why they use the term in the article.

And again in defense of the article :

"So not only are the most educated people most sceptical of taking the Covid vaccine, they are also the least likely the change their minds about it… " ie, NOT hesitant, but instead firm in their decision.