Parental Vaccine Hesitancy: Clinical Implications for Pediatric Providers

Despite being recognized as one of the greatest public health achievements, vaccines are increasingly under scrutiny for a multitude of reasons. “Parental vaccine hesitancy,” an emerging term in today's literature, encompasses a wide range of concerns regarding vaccines and is believed to be responsible for decreasing coverage of many childhood vaccines. The threat to herd immunity posed by poor vaccine uptake increases the risk for resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Pediatric primary health care providers have an obligation to respond to the increasing prevalence of vaccine hesitancy by providing education related to vaccines to ensure the safety and health of the population. The purpose of this article is to examine the most common concerns surrounding vaccine hesitancy and outline strategies for pediatric providers to address concerns with parents in the clinical setting.