With more outbreaks and increased talk of vaccine exemptions, one thing often gets lost.
Most people vaccinate and protect their kids because they understand that vaccines are safe, with few risks, and necessary.
Where Are All of the Vaccine Advocates?
Unfortunately, unlike the highly vocal minority of folks who are against vaccines, we rarely hear from vaccine advocates.
There are a lot of them out there though.
And we are finally starting to hear more about them!
“One woman took four of her kids for the M.M.R. that week.”
Amid a Measles Outbreak, an Ultra-Orthodox Nurse Fights Vaccination Fears in Her Community
Like the story of a nurse in Brooklyn who is educating vaccine-hesitant parents in the middle of a measles outbreak.
And how vaccine-hesitant parents in Oregon are attending vaccine workshops to learn about vaccines from medical professionals.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. In exit surveys, the vast majority of people who attend our workshops say they’ve decided to vaccinate their children as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.”
How do you get anti-vaxxers to vaccinate their kids? Talk to them — for hours.
Had you heard their stories yet?
How about the story about the mom who started the group South Carolina Parents for Vaccines?
“Nelson tries to counter bad information online with facts. But she also understands the value of in-person dialogue. She organized a class at a public library and advertised the event on mom forums.”
A Parent-To-Parent Campaign To Get Vaccine Rates Up
Did you know that a mom in Colorado, who started the group Community Immunity, put up a billboard to help raise immunization rates in her community?
Or that a group of parents formed Vaccinate California and helped support the passage of SB 277 and improved vaccination rates in California?
Did you know that there are similar immunization advocacy groups in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington?
Other communities have Immunization Coalitions and Facebook groups to help answer questions and educate parents about vaccines.
Are you ready to join these vaccine advocates?
More on All of the Vaccine Advocates
- VAXOPEDIA – How to Become a Vaccine Advocate
- VAXOPEDIA – Best Vaccine Websites
- VAXOPEDIA – Are You Too Scared to Vaccinate Your Kids?
- VAXOPEDIA – Why Are You Still Worried About the MMR Vaccine?
- VAXOPEDIA – Vaccine Education and Advocacy
- VAXOPEDIA – 50 Ways to Get Educated About Vaccines
- VAXOPEDIA – Strategies for Increasing Childhood Vaccination Rates
- VAXOPEDIA – A Legislative Guide to Advocating for Stronger Vaccine Laws
- VAXOPEDIA – How To Counter Vaccine Hesitancy
- VAXOPEDIA – Do Anti-Vaccine Parents Ever Change Their Minds?
- VAXOPEDIA – Parents Who Regret Not Vaccinating Their Kids
- VAXOPEDIA – Personal Stories About Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
- VAXOPEDIA – Anti-Vaccine Points Refuted A Thousand Times
- Shannon Rosa: Vaccine Advocates: Please Don’t Discriminate Against My Autistic Son
- Vaccines on the Fence (Facebook Group)
- the Vaccine Page (Facebook)
- Immunization Action Coalition
- National Network of Immunization Coalitions
- Voices For Vaccines
- Vaccinate Your Family
- Parent Advocate Toolkit
- How to make a difference – Responsible vaccine advocacy
- Boost Oregon
- Clark County Immunization Coalition
- The Uneducated Teaching the Unvaccinated
- Amid a Measles Outbreak, an Ultra-Orthodox Nurse Fights Vaccination Fears in Her Community
- South Carolina Parents for Vaccines
- Community Immunity
- Vaccinate California
- Is There a Kinder, Gentler Way to Get Anti-Vaxxers to See the Light?
- The Immunization Partnership
- Immunize Texas
- The Arizona Partnership for Immunization
- Immunization Coalition of Delaware
- Immunize Kansas Coalition
- Indiana Immunization Coalition
- Nurses Who Vaccinate
- Moms Who Vax
- Families Fighting Flu
- IVaccinate
- Kimberly Coffey Foundation
- The Emily Stillman Foundation
- Light for Riley
- National Meningitis Association
- 4 Ways You Can Become a Vaccine Advocate (And Why It Matters)
- Everyone can be a flu vaccine advocate!
- Vaccine Advocacy step-by-step
- Helping Young People Become Youth Advocates for Immunization
- Advocacy for Vaccines: A Leadership Guide for School Nurses and
- Allied Health Professionals
- How to make a difference – Responsible vaccine advocacy
- Vaccine Advocates: Don’t Discriminate Against My Autistic Son
- Study: Training parents as immunization advocates a promising approach to vaccine hesitancy
- Guidelines for Pharmacy-Based Immunization Advocacy
- Be a Better Vaccination Advocate
- Become a vaccination advocate
- A Parent-To-Parent Campaign To Get Vaccine Rates Up