In October 2019, while I was working as a Postdoctoral Fellow at The Ottawa Hospital, my family and I went for our annual flu shots. My husband, my three-year-old son, and I all received our vaccinations at a family clinic. It is routine for us—an essential step to protect ourselves and our community.
A day later, I was expecting a guest, someone I had met a few months prior. When she arrived, she was eager to meet my son, but I mentioned that he was feeling a little under the weather due to mild post-vaccine symptoms. Her reaction caught me off guard.
“Oh my God, why did you get him vaccinated?” she asked, her tone filled with concern. “I’ve heard so many scary stories about vaccines making people sick, damaging organs, or even causing mental disabilities in children.”
I was stunned. Having worked in the medical field for years, surrounded by colleagues and family members who trusted science, I had never directly encountered such strong vaccine hesitancy before. This moment became pivotal for me—it was, unknowingly, the start of my journey into medical writing and combating health misinformation.
Where does vaccine hesitancy come from?
As expected, my guest’s concerns were not based on firsthand experience but rather on secondhand stories from friends. She admitted she had never received a vaccine herself but had heard unsettling anecdotes. Some were about children feeling unwell after vaccination, others drawing unproven connections between vaccines and unrelated health conditions.
This encounter highlighted that misinformation and unfounded assumptions are significant contributors to vaccine hesitancy.
I explained to her that mild post-vaccine symptoms, like fever, are actually a good sign.
Mild post-vaccine symptoms, like fever, are actually a sign that the immune system is doing exactly what it’s supposed to—mounting a response and building antibodies to protect against future infections.
Sensing she might be wondering why vaccines are even necessary if the body can produce antibodies on its own, I used an analogy. I compared our immune system to a country’s defense forces.
Think of your immune system like a country’s army. Soldiers need training to recognize and fight off invaders. Without training, an attack could catch them off guard and overwhelm them.
Vaccines work the same way. They train our immune system to recognize a virus before it ever encounters the real threat. That way, if the virus does show up, our body is prepared to fight it off quickly and effectively—reducing the risk of severe illness.
A study found that while misinformation plays a significant role in vaccine hesitancy, there are some concerns stem from genuine fears about vaccine safety. While some individuals believe vaccination is unnecessary, others avoid it due to cultural beliefs. Misinformation, combined with a lack of accessible and accurate information, has also eroded trust in vaccines. These factors collectively contribute to vaccine hesitancy, highlighting the urgent need for open dialogue and education to address these concerns effectively.
How Common is Vaccine Hesitancy?
Fast forward to 2020, and the world faced an unprecedented public health crisis with COVID-19. I recall conversations with neighbors who genuinely believed that vaccines were a government ploy to control or harm the population (shocked smiley) .
These claims deeply pained me. As a researcher, I knew firsthand the rigorous efforts scientists put into developing vaccines—countless hours in the lab, clinical trials ensuring safety and efficacy, and an unwavering commitment to protecting public health.
Yet, despite this, misinformation spread rapidly, fueled by social media, fear, and distrust.
This indicates a significant portion of the population that requires targeted education and outreach.
Why is vaccine hesitancy an issue?
Vaccine hesitancy is an issue because it puts public health at risk. Because misinformation increases the risks of preventable illness and death. We all have a role to play in tackling vaccine hesitancy by promoting vaccine safety and sharing evidence-based information.
Throughout history, vaccines have played a critical role in eradicating or controlling some of the deadliest diseases known to humankind. One of the greatest triumphs of vaccination was the eradication of smallpox, a disease that claimed millions of lives before a global immunization campaign wiped it out completely in 1980.
Smallpox Eradication: The Proven Success of Vaccines
Smallpox is the only infectious disease that has been completely eradicated—a monumental achievement in public health. This success has saved millions of lives and stands as a testament to the power of vaccines. Isn’t that incredible?
I loved this video created by Retro Report during the COVID outbreak, Retro Report – Smallpox and Vaccine Success. It reminds us how we fought and combated smallpox with one tool—VACCINE.
Other vaccine success stories
Similarly, polio—a disease that once caused widespread paralysis—has been nearly eliminated, thanks to widespread vaccination efforts. Cases have plummeted by over 99% since the launch of global polio immunization programs, saving countless lives and preventing disability.
Vaccines have also helped us curb deadly outbreaks like Ebola. A rapid vaccine response was achieved by international collaboration between entities such as the Canadian government, the Norwegian Ministry, the UK government, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Wellcome Trust. This swift development and deployment of an Ebola vaccine played a pivotal role in controlling outbreaks in West Africa, demonstrating how modern science can quickly respond to emerging threats.
And, of course, we have witnessed an extraordinary victory against COVID-19. Despite initial skepticism, COVID-19 vaccines have prevented millions of hospitalizations and deaths worldwide. Scientific data has repeatedly confirmed their safety and efficacy, yet misinformation continues to create hesitancy and delay progress.
How to Tackle Vaccine Hesitancy
Health misinformation is not just an inconvenience—it has life-threatening consequences. The Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) found that misinformation contributes to vaccine hesitancy, undermining efforts to achieve herd immunity. Similarly, research published in the National Library of Medicine details how misinformation has fueled public distrust in COVID-19 vaccines, leading to lower vaccination rates and increased hospitalizations.
This issue requires a multifaceted response:
- Empowering Patients with Accurate Information – Organizations like the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) stress the importance of equipping healthcare professionals with tools to counter misinformation effectively.
- Encouraging Open Conversations – Instead of dismissing people’s fears, we must engage in empathetic, fact-based discussions, much like I did with my guest in 2019.
- Leveraging Trusted Sources – Public health agencies, scientific journals, and reputable medical organizations should be the primary sources of vaccine information.
Recently, I got a chance to attend CMA Health Summit 2025, a gathering of medical professionals and policy makers. A very important lesson that I have taken with me is this,
When we’re trying to correct misinformation, it’s more important to show people we understand where they’re coming from, than to just make them believe us.
Building Trust: Let’s Combat Misinformation with Facts and Trust
Misinformation thrives in environments of distrust, making it crucial that we not only share verified facts but also strive to build trust within our communities. As medical professionals, writers, and informed citizens, we must commit to transparent communication, empathetic listening, and the consistent dissemination of evidence-based information.
The story I shared is a reminder that even in our own circles, we have the power to influence and educate. By fostering open dialogue and relying on reputable sources, we can collectively chip away at the misinformation epidemic. In the fight against vaccine hesitancy, knowledge and trust are our most potent tools. Let us work together to build a healthier, more informed future, one conversation at a time.
If we managed to eradicate smallpox in an era without cell phones or the internet, we can definitely achieve success today to eradicate other preventable infectious diseases!
Are you committed to fighting misinformation? Let’s connect and create impactful, evidence-based health content together.
Together, we can build a healthier, well-informed society