Addressing Parents’ Concerns About Childhood Immunizations: A Tutorial for Primary Care Providers

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Abstract
BACKGROUND. Despite the dangers of vaccine-preventable infections and efforts by health care professionals to promote immunization, parents’ resistance to routine childhood immunizations continues to grow. This phenomenon can give rise to frustration among health care providers, as well as create barriers in providing medical care to children in need. In response, we developed a CD-ROM–based tutorial that (1) explains the nature and origins of parents’ concerns, (2) addresses clinical implications of resistance to immunization, (3) explores ethical and professional obligations that physicians have toward children and their parents, and (4) discusses how physicians can effectively address parents’ concerns.