Much has been written lately about religious and antiscience (or at least junk science) aspects of vaccine refusal. I don’t recall seeing much, if anything, said about just plain old needle fear. I suspect that many vaccine decliners are hiding (consciously or unconsciously) their fear of injections under the cloak of “intellectual” or religious choice. By continuing to use the kinds of fear-mongering images I have described, journalists are fueling the vaccine refusal debate.
How about you and I who provide immunizations on a regular basis adopt a policy of refusing to allow pictures from our offices to be taken immunizing uncooperative or terrified children? Or at least journalists should be forced publish three images of contented vaccine recipients for every photograph of a screaming child. Or, even better, how about a one-for-one arrangement that shows one child in the intensive care unit as the result of a vaccine-preventable illness for every crying injection recipient?
Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine, for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” E-mail him at pdnews@frontlinemedcom.com.