Real world vaccine ethics

Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake

Vaccines have led to a significant decrease in rates of vaccine-preventable diseases and have made a significant impact on the health of children. However, some parents express concerns about vaccine safety and the necessity of vaccines. The concerns of parents range from hesitancy about some immunizations to refusal of all vaccines. This clinical report provides information about the scope and impact of the problem, the facts surrounding common vaccination concerns, and the latest evidence regarding effective communication techniques for the vaccine conversation. After reading this clinical report, readers can expect to: Understand concepts and underlying determinants of vaccine uptake and vaccine hesitancy.Understand the relationship between vaccine hesitancy and costs of preventable medical care.Recognize and address specific concerns (eg, vaccine safety) with caregivers when hesitancy is present.

Policies Among US Pediatricians for Dismissing Patients for Delaying or Refusing Vaccination

This survey study assesses US pediatrician practices and office policies in response to parents who either refuse primary vaccinations or request to spread out individual vaccines in the primary series.

Dismissal policies for vaccine refusal among US physicians: a literature review

Childhood vaccination is one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century, yet increasingly, parents question the safety of and need for vaccines. This has led to increased rates of vaccine delay and refusal and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Physicians struggle with how to respond to families who refuse vaccines, as there are few known effective interventions to convince a family to vaccinate. In the United States, the practice of dismissing families for vaccine refusal appears to be increasing as a strategy for dealing with vaccine refusal. In this review, we review the literature surrounding this controversial practice, starting with the impact that vaccine-refusing families have on medical practices, followed by a review of dismissal policies of US physicians, and ending with a discussion of the ethics of this practice.

Vaccine Hesitancy, History, and Human Nature: The 2018 Stanley A. Plotkin Lecture

Navigating the waters of vaccine hesitancy requires a view towards history and a deep understanding of how humans think. Getting children vaccinated is as much, or more, about connecting with people as it is about communicating scientific information.