diana pressey

Part two of a series on the anti-vaccination movement and what can be done to combat it. Read part 1 here.

A common first instinct when people come across vaccine skeptics or the vaccine hesitant is to lash out and belittle. After that, most want to throw their hands up in the air and quit. But when people who are on the fence feel attacked by one side, there’s a strong chance they’ll get defensive and hop onto the other. This approach can do much more harm than good, considering the damaging effects of the anti-vax movement.

Getting through to those who don’t vaccinate is an uphill battle, but characterizing it as such is a huge mistake. Battles go nowhere; empathetic persuasion and civil discourse are far more effective tactics. And there’s evidence they work: many vaccine hesitant parents such as this one ultimately change their minds for the better.

While researching this topic, I came across a blog post featuring Rachel Alter. She’s a vaccine advocate and public health professional who speaks with vaccine skeptics online to try and open their minds. I spoke with Rachel and gained insights into how these conversations actually play out. According to her, she sees many success stories on the forums she frequents:

“We get lots of parents who write and tell us they finally got their kid vaccinated after spending time on the forum and realizing that the only people who were able to back themselves up with credible sources were from the pro-vaccine side of it,” she said. “Most of what keeps parents from vaccinating their kids is fear, and when that fear is addressed and they’re given a reason not to fear the vaccine anymore, they are willing to go ahead and do it.”

Rachel approved the following 5 tactics to help change vaccine skeptics’ minds, all corroborated by lessons I’ve learned in my public relations classes:

1. Don’t vilify the opposition. Instead, open up civil discourse.

Treating the vaccine hesitant as enemies is a surefire way to alienate them, propelling them into the world of anti-vax propaganda. Opening up a polite conversation that allows for understanding on both sides is a healthier, more effective way to reach and persuade target audiences.

Note the terms “vaccine hesitant” and “vaccine skeptics”. The term “anti-vaxxers”, referring to those who are firmly entrenched in the belief that vaccines are harmful (or profit off those beliefs), is a bit different. It allows for less leeway. Truly, if the person you’re talking to is 100% convinced that vaccines are toxic and doesn’t seem open to discussion, your efforts might be wasted. It’s more worth the time to engage in discourse with those branded vaccine hesitant, who are mostly just worried parents and aren’t as certain about what they believe.  

Obviously, you’re not going to change people’s minds with just one conversation, but one conversation can be enough to kickstart the process and get people to reconsider their assumptions.

2. Learn context and ask questions to get to know your audience.

To argue your point, you must first know your audience and the context of their beliefs. There are many reasons why people don’t vaccinate, and they vary significantly case by case. A few core belief factors emerged in one study: distrust of science; faith in homeopathic alternatives (paired with fear of vaccine chemicals); concerns about safety; and conspiracy theories about the government, big pharma, and other organizations.

When persuading the vaccine hesitant, don’t immediately try to correct their perceptions. If you do, you’ll risk triggering the “backfire effect” and accidentally strengthen their beliefs. It’s critical to ask questions that get them to reflect, question their views, and share their thought processes with you. Get to the root of their stances to determine which of the above belief factors they identify with.

Rachel likes to ask questions that challenge people’s perspectives and bring in new info they might not be aware of. Here are some of her go-to q’s:

• What is your perception of the risk of death or significant disability due to measles vs the risk of death or significant disability due to the MMR vaccine?
• Is it possible that some people are so quick to jump to the conclusion that vaccines caused a health issue that they miss an underlying problem that then fails to be addressed? Is that at all concerning to you?
• I often hear people worried about supporting the pharmaceutical industry. Does it bother you that some of the leaders of the anti-vax movement (Larry Cook, Jeff Lord, Andrew Wakefield, etc.) sell lifestyle brands and merchandise for their own personal gain? Does it bother you that Larry Cook pocketed nearly $80,000 from his anti-vax GoFundMe campaigns? Are you concerned about their motives?

Once you know how and why the person you’re speaking with thinks the way they do, it’ll be easier to converse constructively and have an actual shot at changing their minds.

3. Use trusted voices: Recruit beloved celebrities and pediatricians with kids as spokespeople

Rachel wrote an op-ed about the former that really resonated with me. If Jenny McCarthy and other celebrities have played such big role in spreading anti-vax messaging, why shouldn’t well-known voices on the opposing side do the same? Celebrities can significantly affect public perceptions of social and public health issues—just look at Ellen DeGeneres’ impact on the gay rights conversation, or Elton John’s on AIDS. Celebrity influence is undeniable. Public health pros can and should harness it to tackle this issue.

Pediatricians can also be a trustworthy source for the vaccine hesitant. Some former anti-vaxxers have shared that their kids’ pediatricians helped change their mind by speaking to them compassionately, empathizing with their fears as fellow parents.

4. Speak your audience’s language. Avoid scientific jargon, facts, and statistics.

Vaccine skeptics’ frustrating distrust of scientists and big pharma means that not only are they unlikely to understand jargon; they are directly repelled by it. Language in communication with them should be understandable by the average ninth grader and avoid niche scientific terms.

Additionally, reformed anti-vaxxers have attested: facts don’t work on them and often trigger that backfire effect. Statistics should be used sparingly, and the few included must be punchy and persuasive. For instance, a randomized trial found that highlighting scientific consensus with the statement “90 percent of medical scientists agree that vaccines are safe and that all parents should be required to vaccinate their children” diminished vaccine skeptics’ worries and beliefs that vaccines cause autism. But if you’re dealing with someone who distrusts the scientific community, even the strongest statistics will be rendered impotent.

While many scientists might hiss at the idea of anecdotal evidence, a lot of vaccine skeptics use anecdotal evidence. Storytelling is the best way to speak their language.

5. Stick to relatable stories and compelling visuals. Appeal to emotion and risk aversion.

As I’ve already established that facts don’t work, what’s left are appeals to emotion and risk aversion. Storytelling is a strong option. Voices for Vaccines does good job of this, with stories like “I was Duped by the Anti-Vaccine Movement” offering great insight into how people can transition in and out of the vaccine hesitant mindset. Another strong example is “Learning the Hard Way: My Journey from #AntiVaxx to Science”, written by a mom whose unvaccinated kids contracted awful cases of the whooping cough. Parents like these have emotional stories that can hook vaccine skeptics’ attention. They can be valuable spokespeople.

Further, people are more likely to listen when content appeals to their fear of risk. It’s crucial to highlight that the consequences of not children outweigh perceived dangers of getting vaccinated. Good news: One study found that vaccine hesitant parents were likely to be swayed by photos of kids suffering from vaccinable diseases. Visually presenting the dangers of diseases is more powerful than just saying “vaccines are safe.”

All this is where PR people can step in. Public health and communication pros need to unite and combine their strengths to tackle this issue. I’m certainly up for it!