Infectious disease doctor warns against DIY vaccine research
Dr. Morgan Goheen says vaccine hesitancy is rising and urges parents to rely on medical experts and professional societies for guidance rather than internet sources.
An infectious disease physician reports a surge in parents delaying or refusing childhood vaccinations, noting that national exemption rates for kindergarten immunizations have doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic and that flu-shot uptake this season is around 42 percent for adults and 50 percent for children. Coverage for the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine has slipped to 92.4 percent, below the 95 percent level needed for herd immunity.
The doctor attributes part of the trend to mixed messages from public officials and the spread of unverified content online. She points to recent reports that political appointees have dismissed studies confirming the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 and shingles vaccines, while promoting research that questions vaccine safety.
“It’s not uncommon for me to hear ‘Thanks, we’re good for now.’”
She advises parents to seek information from established medical bodies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, which have issued recent recommendations for flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines based on independent review.
“These providers know you and your child’s medical history—random social media influencers do not.”
The physician acknowledges that vaccines can cause mild side effects and rare serious reactions, but emphasizes that the overall benefit is substantial, citing estimates that vaccines have prevented about 150 million deaths worldwide in the past five decades and saved billions of dollars in health-care costs in the United States.
She also highlights global disparities, recalling that before widespread immunization campaigns, polio caused tens of thousands of paralysis cases annually in Africa, whereas the U.S. has not seen wild poliovirus transmission for decades.