How to convince anti-vaxxers to get their kids vaccinated
It seems all the science in the world can't get some parents to change their minds about the safety of vaccinating. It's a conundrum for North American public health officials, especially as they watch a measles outbreak spread. They worry the failure to vaccinate is a failure to communicate and they're struggling with finding the right message.
Quick listen: Mother of one Maranda Dynda explains how she got caught up in the anti-vaxxer movement: (Runs 1:06)
- Vaccines: Busting common myths -- Megan Griffith-Greene / Marketplace, CBC News
It's a situation that has some public health officials seeing red...
On both sides of the Canada/U.S. border, new cases of measles continue to break out across the map.... leaving lots of children in danger... and leaving officials scratching their heads. They're wondering what it takes to change the minds of so-called "anti-vaxxers".
It's a riddle that Brendan Nyhan has recently attempted to solve. He led a study into what the best way might be to convince these parents that the MMR vaccine is safe and effective.... and the right thing to do.
Brendan Nyhan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at Dartmouth College, and we reached him in Hanover, New Hampshire.
It may be very rare for parents to change their minds on this issue but Maranda Dynda is one such rarity. She used to be firmly against the idea of vaccines, but she's since become a vaccine advocate. We reached her at her home in central Pennsylvania today.
Have you had your mind changed about vaccines. Let us know.
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This segment was produced by The Current's Kristin Nelson and Ines Colabrese.