What I Learned From the Antivaccine Movement

Pediatrics. 2019 Oct;144(4):e20192384. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-2384. Epub 2019 Sep 16.

Abstract

The following is the runner-up submission from the third annual Section on Pediatric Trainees essay competition. This year's competition was informed by the 2018-2019 Section on Pediatric Trainees Advocacy Campaign: Advocacy Adventure, which empowered trainees to find their areas of passion, acquire and polish new skills, and organize advocacy efforts collaboratively. We asked writers to share experiences as physician advocates and were impressed with the broad variety of important topics submitted by trainees from around the country. This essay by Dr Ju describes advocating at the California state level for childhood immunization protections, which transformed her perspective of those who hold a different view. Along with the winning submission by Drs Panda and Garg that also appears in this issue, this piece is a wonderfully inspiring reminder that we are all well positioned to advocate for children in our roles as trainees and pediatricians.

Publication types

  • Personal Narrative
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • California
  • Child
  • Child Advocacy / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Communication
  • Humans
  • Pediatricians / education*
  • Vaccination Refusal / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Vaccines / adverse effects

Substances

  • Vaccines