Whenever I meet families who oppose vaccination, my first response is to flood them with more evidence, reciting the pro-vaccine fact sheet that every doctor knows by heart. I can’t help myself. The evidence is so self-explanatory that it should put any question to rest.
But this approach may just exacerbate the problem. In fact, studies suggest that attacking parents’ beliefs can backfire, and that “attempts to increase concerns about communicable diseases or correct false claims about vaccines may be … counterproductive.” We can inform parents that vaccines prevent thousands of deaths and millions of cases of disease while saving billions in health care costs, but this will not change the mind of someone who does not trust the data.
Dr. Bryan Sisk
One major problem is that doctors and parents sometimes speak different languages. As trainees, we are raised on nomograms, algorithms, and clinical trials. When a problem presents itself, we instinctively seek out a rational, data-driven response. This is how doctors are built, but studies suggest that vaccine-hesitant parents may be built differently, driven more by fears and negative emotions than by data. Their decisions seem to be based not on a misunderstanding of the facts, but rather a mistrust of the facts.
As pediatric trainees, this is the world we are inheriting. The more successful vaccines become at preventing disease, the harder it will become to convince parents of the serious risks of nonvaccination. It is a perpetual uphill battle.
To make the future better for our patients (and to contribute to our future sanity), we need to work past frustrations and focus on developing pragmatic solutions. There is surely no easy or perfect answer, and different parents may require different approaches, but the status quo is not working. To find the solutions, we need to develop a robust evidence base to guide our good intentions. Perhaps the answer will come from tailoring communication strategies, refocusing public outreach efforts, creating legal mandates, or maybe something completely different.
And if we are successful, maybe we can close the communications gap between vaccine-resisting parents and doctors.
Dr. Sisk is a pediatrics resident at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. E-mail him at pdnews@frontlinemedcom.com.