Many parents have questions about their children's vaccines, and answering their questions can help parents feel confident in choosing to immunize their child. Doctors, nurses, medical assistants, and office staff all play a key role in establishing and maintaining a practice-wide commitment to communicating effectively about vaccines and maintaining high vaccination rates.
Parents consider their child's healthcare professionals to be their most trusted source of information when it comes to vaccines. This is true even for parents who are vaccine-hesitant or who consider delaying one or more vaccines. You have a critical role in helping parents choose vaccines for their child.
There are many resources for healthcare professionals to improve communication skills, and to review and print in the office when you have conversations with parents and families.
Having Conversations with Parents
- Adolescent Immunization Discussion Guides
- Are Vaccines Safe for Children? The Truth About Risks & Benefits
- Autism and Vaccines
- Childhood Immunization Discussion Guides
- Childhood Vaccinations: Top 12 Questions Answered
- Common Immunization Questions from Parents
- Communicating About Vaccinations
- Explaining How Vaccines Work
- Maternal and Infant Immunization Discussion Guides
- Need Help Responding to Vaccine-Hesitant Parents? (PDF)
- Questions Parents May Ask about Vaccines
- Reasons to Follow CDC's Recommended Immunization Schedule
- Reframing the Conversation about Child and Adolescent Vaccinations - FrameWorks Institute
- Reliable Sources of Immunization Information: Where Parents Can Go to Find Answers! (PDF)
- Talking with Parents about Childhood Vaccines
- Talking with Vaccine Hesitant Parents
- Tips and Timesavers for Vaccine Conversations (PDF)
- Vaccine Myths and Safety: Examine the Evidence
Increasing Vaccine Confidence Toolkits
- Childhood Immunization Toolkit WCAAP (PDF)
- Childhood Immunization Toolkit Public Health Seattle & King County (PDF)
- Childhood Vaccine Information for Health Care Providers
- Communicating with Families and Promoting Vaccine Confidence
- Get the Facts | Let’s Get Real
- Keeps It That Way - Raise Awareness about Diseases and Protection from Vaccines
- Plain Talk Manual
- The reality about vaccine-preventable diseases | Let’s Get Real
- Vaccine Communication Resources for Health Care Providers
- Vaccine Confidence Resources
- Vaccine Confidence Toolkit
- Vaccine Confidence Toolkit
- Vaccine Hesitancy Toolkits
- Vaccination Saves Lives! Videos and Educational Materials
Making Effective Recommendations
- Making Effective Recommendations (PDF)
- The Act, Recommend, Motivate Approach: Making vaccine conversations easier
Trainings for Providers
- Becoming Trusted Messengers Online Course
- Online Module: Talking with Patients
Interactive, self-paced, online learning program that earns Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit for healthcare providers and pharmacists. It improves the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical vaccine discussions with patients. - Vaccinate Your Family University
Free, self-paced courses (including bilingual options) for health workers, advocates, and community members on vaccine confidence, misinformation, and communication strategies
Vaccine-Specific Resources
- Do vaccines cause autism? (PNG)
- How do we know vaccines are safe? (PNG)
- Ingredients by Vaccine
- Multiple Vaccines at Once
- Multiple vaccines are safe (PNG)
COVID-19
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hib
HPV
- Getting HPV vs. getting vaccinated infographic (PDF)
- Is there a vaccine that prevents cancer? (PNG)
- HPV Toolkit
- HPV
Influenza
- Getting the flu vs. getting vaccinated infographic (PDF)
- Fast facts about the flu vaccine social media graphic (PNG)
- Flu Resource Center
- Flu Toolkit
- Flu
- Tips for Speaking with Parents about Flu Vaccine
- Tips for Having Positive Conversations with Parents About the Flu Vaccine - NFID
Measles
Meningococcal
- Getting bacterial meningitis vs. getting vaccinated infographic (PDF)
- Meningococcal
- Discussion Guide for Providers (PDF)
- Infographic for Families (PDF)
Mumps
Pertussis
Pneumococcal
Polio
Rotavirus
RSV
Rubella
Tetanus
Varicella
- Getting chickenpox vs. getting vaccinated infographic (PDF)
- Is the chickenpox vaccine safer than natural immunity? (PNG)