Communicating with Parents About Vaccines

Most families understand the importance of vaccines in disease prevention and agree to vaccinate their children. However, there are an increasing number of families with vaccine concerns and requests to delay or decline recommended vaccines. Effective parent-provider communication can motivate parents to accept vaccines. Key strategies include provider initiation of vaccine discussion, delivery of a strong vaccine recommendation, and maintaining a strong vaccine recommendation in the face of resistance. Motivational interviewing, a patient-centered collaborative communication technique, may also strengthen the families’ intent to change behavior and accept vaccination. It is important to remember that reasons for vaccine non-acceptance differ among individuals, and therefore the strategies utilized in communicating with parents about vaccines should be tailored to address parental vaccine attitudes and concerns.