How to Speak with Vaccine-Hesitant Parents & the Media

7/31/2019 How to Speak with Vaccine-Hesitant Parents & the Media

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Vaccine Communication Skills:How to Speak with Vaccine-

Hesitant Parents & the Media

Kris Calvin

CEO, AAP-CA



Objectives

Understand changing concerns of vaccine-

hesitant families

Gain skills & best practices for effectivecommunication with vaccine hesitant families

Become more comfortable skills engaging

the media on vaccine issues.

Understand how these skills translate in the

advocacy arena (example of AB 2109).



Vaccination isthe top Public

Healthachievement of

the 20th

Century

MMWR 1999; 48:241



2010: Practicing Pediatricians: Top Vaccine Safety

Concerns of Patients/Families•Autism

•Thimerosal

•Aluminum

•Pain of so many shots

• Why so many shots at once/so early? Concern about overwhelming

the immune system.

•Have not seen these diseases so do not see the value that outweighs

any risk



2012 Vaccine-”educated”

parents May be ―pro-vaccine‖ for themselves, but object to it

for infants/children

May no longer believe in a vaccine-autism

connection (or at least will not say so)

Want ―green‖ vaccines—pure, natural (no additives)

Overwhelming the young immune system = #1

concern, many want alternative schedule



More 2012 Parent Concerns

General mistrust of scientific

research/systems of care—funding, motives

(per shot payment) My unvaccinated baby is ―healthier ‖ than

vaccinated children (rosy cheeks)

I am fine not caring about ―public health‖—my

responsibility is MY child only

Highly influenced by non-MD providers—

chiropractors, nurses, midwives/doulas



2008

Lee et al NVIC 2010

Kindergarten PBEs by County2000



Do you matter?



Do practicing MDs consider it important to have

effective vaccine communication skills?

•Many spoke to what a huge part of practice vaccines havebecome.

•Numerous spoke about the importance of these skills for bothgeneral pediatricians and subspecialists.

•Importance of subspecialist supporting need for vaccines,even in cases where they do not give the vaccines

themselves.

•Also for many children with special health care needs, thesubspecialist is the medical home.



Why Parents Who Planned To Delay/RefuseVaccine Changed Their Minds

Gust et al Pediatr 2009;122:718



From

FFrom Practicing Pediatricians:Best Practices



Practicing Pediatricians: What I didn’t think I would

do or see!•Nearly all have learned to “negotiate” vaccines for somefamilies, using slightly modified “alternate schedules” as partof routine practice. (This requires diligence, documentationand clear communication about what is acceptable and whatis not. This is NOT about substituting a Sears-type schedulefor science.)

•Many parents feel it is now “due diligence” to at leastquestion one or more vaccines, even if they will readily acceptthem.

•MD must deal with own anger/rejection at not being trustedover vaccines.



Listen firstAsk each family/parent what, if any, are their

concerns about vaccines.

“Having a prepared spiel and spouting lots ofscience without knowing what someone’s specific

concerns are wastes time and does not build trust.”



•First tier: Parents who want to “exercise due diligence”.

•Second tier: One or more specific fears based on myths in

the media or from friends, that if listened to and carefullyresponded, will set aside.

•Third tier: those who are fearful of vaccines either due to aclose personal experience (a sibling whose child had autismafter a vaccine, or had what they perceived as a bad adversereaction) or who refuse vaccines as part of a larger lifephilosophy.

Assess depth of concern



•Doctors need to recognize that they need to come toterms with emotions of anger or disappointment in

parents who listen to celebrities or media rather thantrained MDs, who feel that they know what is best for the child. Those emotions; move beyond judgment to

help the patients.

Be ready for your own negative emotions.



•Begin at the first visit letting the family knowproactively their position as a doctor in strong

support of vaccines for their child. Give websitesyou trust about vaccines.

•Share if you vaccinate your own child/ your niece,your nephew.

Pre-empt resistance



•Focus on those diseases that are still seen and theycan understand, and tell stories about children who

did not get vaccines.

Use “stories” rather than theories



Other Lessons Learned

Maximize benefits to their child – not a public health discussion

– vaccines provide protection

– risk of disease for omitted vaccines



BOTTOM LINE:

This is not a debate, it is aconversation. It doesn’t matter if youare “right” ; it matters what they

want and decide to do.



Working With the Media

Improving the Value of Medical Journalism

<Media slides courtesy of Val Ulene, LA Times health

columnist>



Why Engage the Media

As a major source of medical information,

the media can be particularly important in

educating the general public, the medicalcommunity and policy makers.



Most news articles on medically related topics

fail to discuss important issues such as

evidence quality, costs, and risks versusbenefits



Barriers to Good Medical

Reporting

Lack of time

Lack of space Lack of knowledge



Overcoming Barriers:

What Can Doctors Do to Help Make yourself available

Provide accurate, up-to-date information

about health-related topics Be professional

Tell a good story



Should I Do the Interview?

Find out what the reporter wants to know and what

their attitude toward the subject might be

Get to know the media outlet

Determine if you’re the right person to do the

interview

Decide whether it’s worth your time and energy



DON’T BE AFRAID TO TURN DOWN AN

INTERVIEW!



Where Do People Get Their

News?



Use Social Media

About a quarter (27%) of adults say they regularly or

sometimes get news or news headlines through

Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites.

This rises to 38% of people younger than 30, but now

spans a notable share of older Americans (12% of

those 65 and older) as well.



Preparing for interviews

Bring the journalist up to speed

Get yourself up to speed

Prepare and practice key message pointsReview facts and figures

Identify questions (easy, hard and terrible) and

formulate responses



The Interview

Answer their questions in clear, concise,

simple language

Stick to what you know Take charge

Take a stance

Be enthusiastic!



Avoid Getting Trapped

Stay calm and positiveDon’t pretend to know something you don’tknow

Correct inaccurate information

If you make an error, correct yourself as soonas possible

There’s no such thing as ―off the record‖



Follow-up After an Interview

Ask if you’ll have the opportunity to review

and correct the piece

Make yourself available for follow-upquestions



Don’t Wait for Them to Call

You! Send press releases

Invite to press conferences

Provide them with information kits Reach out to personal contacts

Submit letters to the editors

Write spec articles



Not for today--AB 2109 (PAN)

PBES REQUIRES HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

SIGNATURE FOR PBE

INTENDED TO DECREASE CONVENIENCEPBES WHILE STILL PERMITTING

PARENTAL CHOICE

BASED ON WASHINGTON STATE LAW

SHOWING RESULTS

LOW BURDEN TO MD PRACTICES—

FAX/EMAIL OK; FEW PATIENTS PER

PRACTICE



THANK YOU!

How to Speak with Vaccine-Hesitant Parents & the Media

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