Q&A: How the US can combat anti-vaccine activism
Key takeaways:
- Anti-vaccine activists are targeting childhood vaccines.
- Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD, offers his opinions on how to take anti-vaccine activism today.
Kindergarten vaccine coverage has been on a steady decline since the 2019-2020 school year, and fewer parents felt it was important for their teens to receive all recommended vaccines in 2023 compared with 2021.
Anti-vaccine activism could soon make its way to the presidential cabinet if Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has made scientifically disproven claims about the safety of vaccines, is confirmed as HHS secretary.
In an opinion piece published in PLOS Global Public Health, Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD, dean of the National School of Tropic Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, recommended strategies to combat anti-vaccine activism, such as by distributing infographics that explain the risks associated with getting a vaccine compared with the risks associated with getting a vaccine-preventable disease.
Healio spoke with Hotez about his article and what measures can be taken to prevent the reemergence of deadly diseases.
Healio: What inspired you to write this article?
Hotez: The alarming recent information from the CDC that there has been a five- to six-times rise in pertussis cases from 2023 to 2024 and a four-times rise in measles outbreaks over that period, together with reports of polio detected in the wastewater of New York State. I worry about a potential unraveling of our vaccine infrastructure.
Healio: What will anti-vaccine activism look like in the next 4 years? Are there certain vaccines that are being targeted, or is it directed toward all vaccines?
Hotez: That is a very good question, and I do not think we know the answer, but I am concerned about press reports of lead anti-vaccine activists questioning the efficacy or testing of the polio vaccine, as well as the hepatitis B vaccine. My worry is that there will be an organized attempt both at the federal and state levels to undermine some of our most consequential childhood immunizations.
Healio: How can physicians talk to parents who are hesitant about vaccinating their child? What should they focus on in these conversations?
Hotez: Well, certainly that vaccines are both safe and effective, but also give parents a better understanding of the very low risks of childhood immunizations vs. the high risk to their unvaccinated child if they contract the disease. That was the rationale behind the graphics in the paper. But I feel we should create similar graphics for all the childhood vaccines.
Healio: How can we combat vaccine disinformation?
Hotez: I outlined four measures, including:
- mapping high vaccine exemption areas by county across the country — surprisingly, we don't currently do that;
- instructional graphics for all of our childhood vaccines;
- refuting specific disinformation in real time — for example, when the anti-vaccine activists risibly claimed mRNA COVID vaccines cause "turbo-cancers;” and
- expanding advocacy around state legislatures who establish most of the vaccine policies in America.
Healio: Anything else?
Hotez: My strategy for this paper was mostly U.S.-focused, but I am concerned about the potential globalization of anti-vaccine sentiments.
References:
- Hotez P. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025;doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.004020.
- Hotez PJ. You are unvaccinated and got sick. These are your odds. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/opinion/vaccine-hesitancy.html. Published Jan. 9, 2020. Accessed Jan. 17, 2025.
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