How To Talk Vaccines With Skeptics: 5 Tips From a Doctor

Medscape

15-07-2025

Vaccines recommended for children and adolescents are safe and effective and have prevented an estimated 146 million deaths in children under the age of 5 years worldwide. However, many clinicians continue to face questions and concerns from parents and may feel uncertain about how to respond.
In a recent JAMA Insights , Sean T. O'Leary, MD, MPH, professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, and pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado, outlined five strategies to help physicians build trust and support informed vaccination decisions.
Tip 1: Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy
Most individuals who question vaccines do not intend to cause harm. Acknowledging this shared concern lays a respectful foundation. For example, 'We both want what is best for your child — keeping them healthy and protected.' This is the most important thing to recognize when communicating with families about vaccination.
Tip 2: Effective Communication Strategies
For parents who resist an initial presumptive recommendation, clinician responses can shape the outcome of the conversation. A statement such as 'It's time for Maya's vaccines today' normalizes vaccination as routine medical care, whereas a question like 'What do you think about vaccines today?' indicates that vaccination is optional, potentially reinforcing doubt.
Tip 3: Values-based messaging
Many vaccine-hesitant parents value natural approaches to their health and personal autonomy. Instead of positioning vaccines in opposition to these values, clinicians can frame immunizations to support a child's natural defenses and protect them from serious illnesses. Vaccine conversations should be ongoing and not one-off. Parents who initially decline may change their minds if they consistently hear the same message from a trusted clinician. Gentle persistence, combined with respect for parental decision-making, can lead to higher vaccine uptake.
Tip 4: Pre-bunk Misinformation
Another effective technique is pre-bunking, which involves addressing false information before parents encounter it. Cautioning parents during well-baby visits about inaccurate sources of information can reduce the influence of false claims on vaccination. For example, a clinician might say, 'There is a lot of inaccurate information about vaccines out there that can make vaccines seem unnecessary or even scary. I have some good sources of information I recommend.' By proactively pre-bunking unreliable information, clinicians can prevent parents from being swayed by misleading narratives.
Tip 5: Motivational interviewing
Instead of simply stating that vaccines are safe, clinicians can strengthen confidence by using motivational interviewing techniques to explain the rigorous safety testing that vaccines undergo before approval, that vaccines are removed from the market if serious safety concerns arise, and that robust surveillance systems are in place to monitor adverse events. Inserting a simple statement, such as 'I have heard that concern before and I have looked into it. Would you mind if I share with you what I found out?' may make parents more receptive to subsequent shared factual information.
Effective communication strategies can help clinicians build trust, navigate difficult vaccine conversations, strengthen parents' intentions to vaccinate, and improve vaccine uptake.
Conclusion
A presumptive approach presenting vaccination as the norm, combined with listening to parents' concerns, motivational interviewing, and pre-bunking unreliable information, can improve vaccine acceptance. Building trust through clear explanations, aligning messages with parental values, and leveraging social norms further strengthens vaccine confidence. Although some parents may not immediately accept vaccines, ongoing dialogue and consistent messaging can increase the likelihood of their eventual acceptance. Using these communication strategies, clinicians can help ensure that more children receive life-saving vaccines, thereby protecting both individual and public health.