When the answer to vaccines is “No”

,

Applied Evidence

When the answer to vaccines is “No”

J Fam Pract. 2018 June;67(6):348-351,359-364

By

Gretchen LaSalle, MD

This comprehensive review provides point-by-point, data-supported responses to 13 common vaccine misconceptions and concerns your patients may have.

PDF Download

PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS

› Use a presumptive approach when discussing vaccines with patients/parents. A

› Offer vaccines at every opportunity; provider recommendation is the most important factor in getting patients to vaccinate. A

› Focus on the cancer prevention aspect of the human papillomavirus vaccine to improve rates of vaccine acceptance. A

Strength of recommendation (SOR)

A Good-quality patient-oriented evidence
B Inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence
C Consensus, usual practice, opinion, disease-oriented evidence, case series

From The Journal of Family Practice | 2018;67(6):348-351,359-364.

References

1. Paterson P, Meurice F, Stanberry LR, et al. Vaccine hesitancy and healthcare providers. Vaccine. 2016;34:6700-6706.

2. Opel DJ, Heritage J, Taylor J, et al. The architecture of provider-parent vaccine discussions at health supervision visits. Pediatrics. 2013;132:1037-1046.

3. Palmer J, Carrico C, Costanzo C. Identifying and overcoming perceived barriers of providers towards vaccination: a literature review. J Vaccines. 2015;1-7.

4. Autism Science Foundation. Making the CASE for vaccines: a new model for talking to patients about vaccines. Available at: http://autismsciencefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Making-the-CASE-for-Vaccines-Guide_final.pdf. Accessed April 8, 2018.

5. Jacobson RM, Van Etta L, Bahta L. The C.A.S.E approach: guidance for talking to vaccine-hesitant patients. Minn Med. 2013;96:49-50.

6. Henrickson NB, Opel DJ, Grothaus L, et al. Physician communication training and parental vaccine hesitancy: a randomized trial. Pediatrics. 2015;136:70-79.

7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key facts about seasonal flu vaccine. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm. Accessed April 8, 2018.

8. Wakefield AJ, Murch SH, Anthony A, et al. Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children. Lancet. 1998;351:637-641.

9. Taylor LE, Swerdfeger AL, Eslick GD. Vaccines are not associated with autism: an evidence-based meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies. Vaccine. 2014;32:3623-3629.

10. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Minimal risk levels for hazardous substances. Available at: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mrls/mrllist.asp#34tag. Accessed April 8, 2018.

11. US Food and Drug Administration. Thimerosal and vaccines. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228. Accessed April 8, 2018.

12. Hviid A, Stellfeld M, Wohlfahrt J, et al. Association between thimerosal-containing vaccine and autism. JAMA. 2003;290:1763-1766.

13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thimerosal in vaccines. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/concerns/thimerosal/index.html. Accessed May 8, 2018.

14. Autism Speaks. Frequently asked questions. Available at: https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/faq. Accessed April 8, 2018.

15. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Toxic substances portal-aluminum. Public Health Statement for Aluminum, CAS #7429-90-5. Available at: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/PHS/PHS.asp?id=1076&tid=34. Accessed April 8, 2018.

16. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Vaccine ingredients-aluminum. Available at: www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-ingredients/aluminum. Accessed April 8, 2018.

17. Orenstein W, Seib K. Mounting a good offense against measles. N Engl J Med. 2014;371:1661-1663.

18. Plans-Rubió P. The vaccination coverage required to establish herd immunity against influenza viruses. Prev Med. 2012;55:72-77.

19. Hall V, Banerjee E, Kenyon C, et al. Measles outbreak – Minnesota April-May 2017. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66:713-717.

20. The National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine. History of U.S. water and wastewater systems. Privatization of Water Services in the United States: an Assessment of Issues and Experience. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2002:29-40. Available at: https://www.nap.edu/read/10135/chapter/4#35. Accessed May 7, 2018.

21. World Health Organization. Global vaccine safety. Six common misconceptions about immunization. Available at: http://www.who.int/vaccine_safety/initiative/detection/immunization_misconceptions/en/index1.html. Accessed May 7, 2018.

22. The history of vaccines. Human cell strains in vaccine development. Available at: https://www.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/human-cell-strains-vaccine-development. Accessed April 8, 2018.

23. The National Catholic Bioethics Center. Frequently asked questions. Available at: https://www.ncbcenter.org/resources/frequently-asked-questions/use-vaccines/. Accessed April 8, 2018.

24. Shimabukuro TT, Nguyen M, Martin D, et al. Safety monitoring in the vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS). Vaccine. 2015;33:4398-4405.

25. Foster S. Rotavirus vaccine and intussusception. J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther. 2007;12:4-7.

26. Mistry RD, Fischer JB, Prasad PA, et al. Severe complications of influenza-like illnesses. Pediatrics. 2014;134:e684-e690.

27. McNeil MM, Weintraub ES, Duffy J, et al. Risk of anaphylaxis after vaccination in children and adults. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2016;137:868-878.

28. McLaughlin JM, McGinnis JJ, Tan L, et al. Estimated human and economic burden of four major adult vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States, 2013. J Prim Prev. 2015;36:259-273.

29. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/features/vfcprogram/index.html. Accessed April 8, 2018.

30. Plotkin S, Gerber JS, Offit PA. Vaccines and autism: a tale of shifting hypotheses. Clin Infect Dis. 2009;48:456-461.

31. Offit PA, Quarles J, Gerber MA, et al. Addressing parents’ concerns: do multiple vaccines overwhelm or weaken the infant’s immune system? Pediatrics. 2002;109:124-129.

32. Offit PA, Moser CA. The problem with Dr. Bob’s alternative vaccine schedule. Pediatrics. 2009;123:e164-e169.

33. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu vaccination coverage, United States, 2016-17 influenza season. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/coverage-1617estimates.htm. April 8. 2018.

34. Walker TY, Elam-Evans LD, Singleton JA, et al. National, regional, state and selected local area vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 13-17 years – United States, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66:874-882.

35. Thomas TL. Cancer prevention: HPV vaccination. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2016:32:273-280.

36. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Estimating seasonal influenza-associated deaths in the United States. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/US_flu-related_deaths.htm. Accessed May 8, 2018.

37. Wong KK, Jain S, Blanton L, et al. Influenza-associated pediatric deaths in the United States: 2004-2012. Pediatrics. 2013;132:796-804.

38. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness, 2005-2018. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/vaccination/effectiveness-studies.htm. Accessed April 8, 2018.

39. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (flu). Flu vaccine and people with egg allergies. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/egg-allergies.htm. Accessed April 8, 2018.

40. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For parents: vaccines for your children. HPV vaccine for preteens and teens. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/teen/hpv.html. Accessed April 8, 2018.

41. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines and preventable diseases. HPV vaccine recommendations. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/hcp/recommendations.html. Accessed May 7, 2018.

42. Cutts FT, Franceschi S, Goldie S, et al. Human papillomavirus and HPV vaccines: a review. Bull World Health Organ. 2007;85:719-726.

43. De Vincenzo R, Conte C, Ricci C, et al. Long-term efficacy and safety of human papillomavirus vaccination. Int J Womens Health. 2014;6:999-1010.

44. McInerney KA, Hatch EE, Wesselink AK. The effect of vaccination against human papillomavirus on fecundability. Paedeatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2017;31:531-536.

45. Chao C, Klein NP, Velicer CM, et al. Surveillance of autoimmune conditions following routine use of quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine. J Intern Med. 2012;271:193-203.

46. Vichnin M, Bonanni P, Klein NP, et al. An overview of quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine safety: 2006-2015. Ped Infect Dis J. 2015;34:983-991.

47. Bednarczyk RA, Davis R, Ault K, et al. Sexual activity-related outcomes after human papillomavirus vaccination of 11-to-12-year-olds. Pediatrics. 2012;130:798-805.

We all know how challenging and time-consuming it can be to convince vaccine-hesitant patients that vaccinations are what is best for them and their children. Patients are bombarded with misinformation through the news and social media that seeds or “confirms” their doubts about vaccines. And for our part, we have only a few minutes during an office visit to refute all of the false claims that are a mere click or scroll away.

To better prepare for this challenge, this article details a practical approach to discussing vaccines with your patients. Using the patient-friendly language and evidence described here, you will be well positioned to refute 13 common vaccine misconceptions and overcome the barriers that stand in the way of these lifesaving interventions.

A few important baseline concepts

In discussing vaccination with our patients, it is important to keep the following in mind:

Patients don’t refuse vaccinations just to make our lives difficult. They truly are trying to make the best decisions they can for themselves and their families. Recognizing this can significantly reduce frustration levels.

Time well spent. While educating patients about the value of vaccines takes time, the return is worth it. The more consistently we offer vaccines, along with the reasons they are important, the more likely patients are to give vaccines a second thought. In fact, studies show that provider recommendation is the most important factor in patients’ decisions to vaccinate.¹

Approach matters. In all other aspects of medicine, we attempt to use a participatory approach, involving our patients in decisions regarding their health care. When discussing vaccines, however, a participatory approach (eg, “What do you want to do about vaccines today?”) can introduce doubt into patients’ minds. Studies show that a presumptive approach (eg, “Today we are going to provide the tetanus, human papillomavirus [HPV], and meningitis vaccines”) is a much more effective way to get patients to vaccinate.²

Continue to: Barriers to counseling