Improving Childhood Vaccination Rates

Abstract

Despite the phenomenal success of childhood vaccination, thousands of U.S. parents refuse selected vaccines or delay their administration. Some choose not to vaccinate their children at all. Effective communication requires understanding parents' reasons for resisting vaccination. Physicians should approach such reluctance as they would any diagnostic challenge. Physicians represent the best opportunity to influence the vaccine- hesitant. Most parents trust their primary care providers and look to them for information and advice. Parents will be most receptive to considering vaccination if they believe their provider is primarily motivated by the welfare of the individual child rather than an abstract public health goal. The unwillingness of many clinicians to submit to influenza vaccination each year is disgraceful, sets a poor example, and gives patients reason to question the safety and efficacy of vaccines. A logical place to begin increasing public confidence in vaccines is with the example we set. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)