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How Vaccine Hesitancy Takes Root
How Vaccine Hesitancy Takes Root, and What You Can Do to Weed It Out

Released: April 02, 2026

Jennifer M. Walsh
Jennifer M. Walsh, DNP, CPNP-PC, CNE
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Key Takeaways
  • Social media can spread misinformation without patients even realizing that it is happening.
  • Patients, especially new parents, need clarity and empathy to navigate the flood of mixed messaging that plagues the digital landscape. 

I never thought I would fall prey to online misinformation before I became a parent. I work in healthcare; I know how to spot fact vs fiction, what credible sources are, and I consider myself pro vaccine. Yet, during those early morning hours nursing my 3‑week‑old son, everything felt a little cloudier. 

I was exhausted and emotional. Trying to stay awake at 3 am, I started scrolling social media. Most of my feed was still about pregnancy and birth—topics that already felt like a lifetime ago. But 1 story stopped me: “I would have never vaccinated my 2‑month‑old had I known the danger.” I didn’t click on it, but I must have paused long enough for the algorithm to take note.

By the next day, the messages multiplied. I wasn’t looking for this content. I wasn’t doubting vaccines. I was just a new parent awake in the middle of the night, but the algorithm didn’t care about my intentions. It fed on my attention. Fear, especially when wrapped in a parent’s heartbreak, is incredibly tenacious.

Soon, my feed had shifted entirely: More emotional stories, more warnings, more “what ifs.” It felt like the internet had burrowed into my most vulnerable place and taken root there. I wasn’t superstitious, but a small part of me wondered if this was some kind of sign. I admit that I clicked on 1 or 2 posts. It wasn’t the videos themselves that got to me; rather, it was the comments. I scrolled through hundreds of messages echoing the harm supposedly caused by vaccines. The real information was a whisper, while in comparison, the fear‑based content was relentless, personalized, and emotionally charged. It felt like I was barely hearing from the people who cared for my child and getting shouted at by strangers who didn’t know him at all.

I tried to shake it off, but the anxiety lingered all the way to my son’s 2‑month well visit. After examining my thriving, healthy baby, the provider listed the immunizations he was due for. I froze. All those comments came rushing back.

Hesitantly, I asked: “Are you sure they’re safe? Do we have to do them today?”

My son’s provider took a breath and gently replied, “A lot of parents are seeing scary things online. Has anything like that come up for you?” Something in me cracked open. I felt seen. Not judged, not corrected, just understood. For the first time in weeks, I could breathe.

From my perspective as a parent navigating this digital landscape, here’s what helps your message reach us: 

Lead with empathy. Parents aren’t rejecting science, but we are overwhelmed with mixed messages.
Ask what we’ve seen online. It opens the door.
Use short, memorable messages. Sound bites stick.
Pair facts with feelings. Reassurance must be emotional.
Repeat the message. Truth needs repetition too.
Share real stories. They resonate.

Parents aren’t living in an information desert; we’re living in a flood. What we need is clarity, human connection, and empathy from our healthcare providers to cut through the noise.

Your Thoughts
To learn more about how NPs and PAs can build trust with parents and caregivers, register now to join me and my colleagues, Mary Koslap-Petraco, DNP, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, FAANP, and Patricia Stinchfield, MS, RN, PNP, at our live, virtual symposium, Pressure Points in Pediatric Vaccines: The Critical Role of Advanced Practice Professionals for Lasting Progress in Vaccine-Preventable Diseases.

Then, leave a comment below to join the discussion about how you handle vaccine or healthcare misinformation in your practice.

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