Stony Brook Launches Resource Website to Combat Growing Vaccine Hesitancy

Across the United States, healthcare providers are grappling with a significant rise in vaccine hesitancy, with Stony Brook Children’s Hospital reporting a concerning 30 percent decrease in overall vaccination rates. This decline affects both pediatrician office vaccines like MMR, RSV, and flu shots, as well as newborn nursery treatments including vitamin K, RSV, and hepatitis B.

In response to this alarming trend, Stony Brook Children’s Hospital has launched a comprehensive website providing evidence-based resources on childhood vaccines, aiming to combat misinformation and restore public trust in vaccination.

“It’s difficult,” explains Susan Walker, clinical associate professor of Pediatrics at Stony Brook Medicine. “Vaccine hesitancy has been around for a long time. In fact, it’s been around since the time of Ben Franklin and the smallpox vaccine.”

The new initiative is being led by cardiologist Laurie Panesar, vice chair for ambulatory operations at Stony Brook. Working alongside primary care and infectious disease experts, Panesar is spearheading efforts to ensure patients have access to accurate, up-to-date information about vaccines.

“With this initiative, we aim to provide patients and families with clear, evidence-based information and trusted resources to help them make informed decisions about their health and the health of their children,” said Panesar. “In an era of overwhelming and often conflicting information, we encourage families to ask questions and place trust in their pediatrician who is committed by oath to keeping children safe and healthy.”

The newly launched website offers articles about vaccines and their importance, the immunization schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and answers to common questions families have about vaccination.

According to Andrew Handel, clinical associate professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook, much of the current vaccine skepticism stems from how people consume information.

“When I speak with families, I see time and time again that we’re living in media silos where we hear individually targeted messages that create an echo chamber,” Handel noted.

He pointed to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates to their recommended vaccine schedule as an example of how information can be misinterpreted. “The truth is none of the changes that have taken place actually change which vaccines are available for children,” he explained. “The updated CDC recommendations simply suggest we use a shared clinical decision-making approach, targeting vaccination efforts towards higher-risk children, and suggests those at lower risk may not need those vaccines.”

Unfortunately, Handel says, what many families hear instead is that vaccines aren’t recommended at all. “Over time, these narratives slowly instill concern and anxiety into families about which vaccines are necessary and safe when in reality nothing has changed,” he said. “We already have the data, and that data shows that vaccines are safe and effective.”

Walker emphasizes that addressing vaccine hesitancy requires more than just presenting scientific data. “There’s been a lot of research on this, on how to combat vaccine hesitancy and work with parents, and you would think giving them the data would be helpful,” she said. “As it turns out, those discussions don’t really move the needle because vaccine hesitancy is more of an emotional decision rather than a rational one.”

Instead, Walker tries to connect with parents on a personal level. “One of the most powerful things that I can say and do say is that I have three fully grown children, all of whom were fully vaccinated, and I would do it again. I tell them I would never recommend for their child what I would not recommend for my own.”

Both doctors stress that establishing trust through one-on-one conversations is crucial to helping parents make informed decisions.

“It’s the individual one-on-one discussions with their pediatricians that make the difference,” said Handel. “Healthcare professionals are often the most trusted people around. When you sit down with your pediatrician and have one-on-one discussions, I think that can help reassure families who are on the fence but have some questions about the vaccines.”

Despite the challenges, Stony Brook physicians remain committed to being available for parents’ questions and concerns, hoping that over time, trust in vaccination science will be restored.

“The plea to parents is that we pediatricians want what’s best for your child, and we spend a lot of time learning,” Walker concluded. “We’re asking for your trust. What we recommend for your child is what we would do for our own.”