Home
About
FAQs
Contact

VPDC

Vaccine Confidence

IntroductionUpdated 4-11-25
  • False information poses a serious threat to public health and well-being.
  • False information can lead people to believe things that aren’t true, influencing them to make decisions that may put their health or their loved one's health at risk.
  • False information can create unnecessary fear and hesitation about life-saving vaccines.
  • Unverified health claims and rumors spread rapidly, fueling distrust in medical experts and public health institutions.
  • Staying informed with accurate information is essential for protecting yourself, your family, and your community from preventable diseases.

This webpage is designed for the public and healthcare professionals to share information and resources addressing false information and to help build trust and confidence in life saving vaccines.

We want to hear from you! Click here to submit vaccine questions you have or to share false information you may have encountered. A staff member of the LAC DPH vaccine preventable disease control program will address your feedback.

Vaccines Overview

Vaccines are a safe and effective way to protect you and your loved ones from serious, preventable diseases. By following the recommended vaccination schedule, you ensure that you receive protection at the right time, based on your age and health status, before being exposed to harmful infections.

How Vaccines Work
  • Vaccines work by mimicking a virus or bacteria and teach the immune system to recognize the infection and fight the germ.
  • This teaches the body how to protect itself from a disease without experiencing an infection or severe disease.
  • To learn more about how vaccines work, view the educational videos from trusted resources below.


How do vaccines work?
This video explains how vaccines protect children from dangerous diseases and covers topics such as vaccine ingredients, side effects, and their safety.


How do vaccines work?
This video shows how parents can speak with their child before and after a vaccine visit, explaining common reactions like pain and swelling, and reviewing rare serious side effects.


How do vaccines work?
This video explains that vaccines help your immune system prepare for infections by providing it with the information needed to fight back more effectively.


A Vaccine's Journey Through the Body
This video explains how vaccines inform the immune system how to fight infections, and how the vaccine components are removed from the body.


How do we know vaccines are safe?
This video explains how vaccines are tested compared to other medicines and vitamins, and how safety systems in the U.S. keep an eye on vaccines to quickly catch any problems.
How Vaccines are Developed & Approved

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) is responsible for regulating vaccine use in the United States and follows a strict research, testing, and approval process before a vaccine is available to the public.

  1. Research and Discovery: Researchers explore potential vaccines to protect against common infections and for pandemic response. This stage can take up to 10-15 years.
  2. Proof of Concept: Researchers test the vaccine on small animals to see if it creates a good immune response. If it works well, it moves to testing in humans.
  3. Testing the Vaccine: The vaccine goes through human clinical trials in 3 phases:
    • Phase 1: A small group of healthy people (20-100) get the vaccine to see if it is safe.
    • Phase 2: A larger group (100-300 people) is tested to see if it is safe and works well.
    • Phase 3: Thousands (1,000–3,000) of people are tested to make sure the vaccine works well and is safe for more people.
  4. Making the Vaccine: After successful testing, the company begins making larger amounts of the vaccine. The FDA checks the process to ensure the vaccine is made safely and consistently.
  5. Approval: The vaccine is reviewed by the FDA, and they decide if it is safe and effective for use based on the results from the steps above. Sometimes, a group of scientific and public health experts provide input to help with the decision.
  6. Recommending the Vaccine: If the FDA approves the vaccine, an external group of medical and public health experts on CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviews all evidence gathered on the vaccine and develops recommendations on how to use the vaccine, including who should get the vaccine and at what age. These recommendations become official CDC policy once adopted by the CDC’s Director.
  7. Monitoring Safety: After the vaccine is approved for use, safety is always monitored. Systems like Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), Vaccine Safety Datalink, and other systems are used to track adverse events that may happen after vaccination.

For more information on the development and approval process for vaccines, visit the CDC’s How are Vaccines Developed and Approved for Use webpage.

Health Media Literacy
  • Health information helps us make important decisions about our health, but sometimes it can be confusing or overwhelming.
  • Strong health media literacy helps individuals navigate medical news, advertisements, and online content to distinguish fact from fiction.
  • With so much information online and in other places, it's important to know how to tell if the information is trustworthy or if the information is false.
  • Gaining skills to interpret health information correctly makes it easier to identify true versus false information.
Finding Reliable Health Information Online

Most people find their health information online. About 70% of US adults use social networking sites and nearly 60% of adults search for health information online. There are several steps you can take to find accurate health information online and improve health media literacy skills.

  1. Check the source:
    • Find out who created the information.
    • Reliable health information online typically comes from organizations which have “.gov” or “.edu” in their web addresses.
    • Verify that social media accounts are what they claim to be. Some reliable sources will link their social media accounts on their official webpage.
  2. Look for expertise.
    • Ensure the information is coming from qualified professionals.
  3. Verify accuracy.
    • Cross-check the information with multiple reliable resources.
  4. Check for updates.
    • Health information changes so check dates and look out for the most recent updates.
  5. Use fact-checking tools.
    • Websites and social media platforms often offer fact-checking tools.
  6. Talk to professionals.
    • If something does not make sense and you need clarification, ask a trusted doctor for advice.

Additional Resources:

Doing Your Own Research About Vaccines Can Be Tricky
  • Researching vaccines on your own can be risky because misinformation is widespread, scientific data are complex, and search algorithms may prioritize sources that are not reliable.
  • It is easy to have confirmation bias—seeking out information that supports what you already believe while overlooking other evidence that may be different from your beliefs and values.
  • Medical experts and research professionals have decades of training and rely on rigorous studies and peer-reviewed research to reach accurate conclusions.
  • Accurate and reliable health information may change as more scientific evidence is gathered. To learn more, see the article How Research Works.
False Balance in Media
  • False balance happens when the media gives equal weight to ideas that are not scientifically supported, making them seem as if they are just as valid as established facts.
  • Voices for Vaccines False Balance in the Media toolkit explains how false balance in media reporting can mislead the public about vaccine safety by giving equal weight to unscientific views alongside established facts. It encourages a focus on evidence-based information and for readers to support accurate vaccine reporting.
False Information
Types of False Information
Why is there so much Vaccine Disinformation?

Vaccine disinformation is very common but understanding some of the reasons why can help you recognize and counter false claims.


Reason for Vaccine Disinformation 		   
Explanation   

Misinformation spreads faster than facts
False claims gain traction, and sometimes boost engagement rates on people’s social media posts.
   
Mistrust in organizations   
Past scandals and crimes can lead some people to distrust the organizations that committed them.

Political & Ideological influence
Vaccination is often politicized.
   
Profit-driven   
Some individuals and organizations profit from anti-vaccine content through book sales, alternative treatment sales
like “natural immunization” or supplements, and controversial content can boost people’s social media engagement rates.

Biases & fear
People are naturally cautious about medical interventions and tend to believe information that aligns with their values and beliefs.

Medical errors
Rare but real medical errors are used to undermine trust in vaccines despite overwhelming evidence that vaccines are safe and effective.

Emotional & personal testimonies
Personal stories may be exaggerated or emotional which can be persuasive.
Myths and Misinformation

Myths are a widely held but false belief or idea, and misinformation is false or misleading information. Sometimes it can be hard to tell what's true and what's not.

Here are a few tips to bust myths and misinformation:

  • Be Curious: Don't just believe everything you hear. Ask questions like, "Who is telling me this?" and "Do they have a reason to convince me it's true?"
  • Think About It: Is the information believable? Does it match what you already know? Sometimes, we want something to be true, but that doesn't make it true.
  • Check the Evidence: Do you have any proof that the information is right? Just because someone says it’s true doesn’t make it so, especially if they try to make you feel strongly about it.

Adapted from "5 Tips for Busting Myths and Misinformation".

Addressing Common Myths and Misinformation
  • No. There is no evidence of a link between any vaccine and autism or autistic disorders.
  • There is no association between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. A single published study, which had serious flaws and false data, reported a false connection between MMR vaccine and autism in 1998. The publication was retracted and the first author was de-licensed by medical authorities. Since then, hundreds of well-designed scientific studies have confirmed that there is no connection between vaccination and autism.

To learn more, view the American Academy of Pediatrics video “Do Vaccines Cause Autism?”

  • No. While the ingredients in the labels of vaccines can look intimidating, (e.g. mercury, aluminum, and formaldehyde) they are usually found naturally in the body, the food we eat, and the environment around us - for example, in tuna. The amounts in vaccines are very small and will not “poison” or harm the body.
  • Vaccines are tested and go through rigorous and lengthy scientific trials as well as certification processes with WHO and national regulatory agencies to ensure that they are safe and effective. Vaccines offered in public clinics are just as safe and effective as those offered in private.
  • Q&A Vaccine Ingredients: What You Should Know (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)
  • Q&A DNA, Fetal Cells & Vaccines: What you Should Know (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia)
  • No. Vaccines go through lengthy and rigorous processes to make sure that they are safe before they are approved for use and are continuously monitored for safety issues after approved for use.
  • Some people may experience mild short-term side effects to vaccination, including pain at the injection site, low-grade fever, malaise, or rash. These side effects are not serious and mean the immune system is responding to how it will fight the virus or bacteria if it comes into contact with the organism.

To learn more, view the American Academy of Pediatrics video “Do Vaccines Cause Long-Term Side Effects?"

To read more, please visit Debunking Immunization Myths (Pan American Health Organization).

Lets hear from you

We believe that the best way to build a strong, informed community is by understanding what you hear and experience. Your feedback helps us ensure our materials stay relevant to current issues and address any false information being spread.

If you have any questions or concerns after completing the form, particularly regarding misinformation about vaccines that needs clarification, we’ll reach out to you.

Additional Resources

General Resources:

Vaccine Education Resources:

  • The Complete Guide to Childhood Immunizations - Parent Education Videos (American Academy of Pediatrics)
    • This video course provides new parents with a comprehensive understanding of childhood vaccinations, explaining the importance, recommended schedule, and the diseases they protect against, along with the potential risks of not following the vaccination guidelines.
  • UNITY® Consortium Podcast
    • This podcast is centered around “myth-busting” commonly held misconceptions surrounding vaccines – particularly adolescent and young adult vaccines.

Information for Healthcare Professionals

As trusted healthcare providers, you play a crucial role in combating false vaccine information and building vaccine confidence. By addressing concerns and providing clear, scientifically-backed information, you can help increase confidence in vaccines and empower your patients to make informed health decisions.

Why Building Vaccine Confidence is Important
  • When people hesitate about vaccines and refuse vaccination, it can lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases and put vulnerable groups at risk for serious complications (1).
  • Healthcare professionals play a key role in promoting vaccine confidence by offering clear and accurate information to help patients make informed decisions to protect themselves, their families, and their communities (2).
  • It is important to maintain a commitment to communicate effectively about vaccines to achieve high vaccination rates to prevent disease and its spread in the community (2).
Strategies to Improve Vaccine Confidence
  • Vaccine confidence is the trust people have in vaccines, including their safety and effectiveness (1).
    • You can help build trust by giving clear, accurate information and answering any questions patients have.
    • This will help encourage people to get vaccinated, leading to better health outcomes for everyone.
  • Vaccine hesitancy is influenced by personal beliefs and social factors (1).
    • Vaccine education and vaccination reminders help to increase vaccine use, but they often fail to address vaccine hesitancy.
    • The processing of using vaccines involves key decision points for individuals: awareness of disease and risk of disease, availability of vaccines to protect against disease, and accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of the vaccines. By addressing each of these points, we can better understand why individuals may be hesitant to get vaccinated and develop solutions to address hesitancy (14).
Parental Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Vaccines

Parents have a range of attitudes and intentions towards vaccines which can impact their level of confidence in vaccination for themselves and their children (1,3,4). This table highlights common vaccine archetypes and how they differ on the continuum of vaccine acceptance. This information can be used to tailor vaccine confidence strategies with parents based on their archetype.

Archetype Description
   
Immunization Supporter   		    
Parents who strongly believe in the importance of vaccines and always vaccinate their children. They trust their health care provider or the healthcare system.   
   
Go Along to Get Along   		    
Parents who don't question vaccines and generally vaccinate, but don't have in-depth knowledge about them.   
   
Cautious Acceptor   		    
Parents who have some concerns but still vaccinate their children. They may be hesitant but ultimately make the decision to vaccinate.   
   
Fence-Sitter   		    
Parents who are unsure and have major concerns about vaccines. They may be knowledgeable, but may delay, refuse, or partially vaccinate their child.   
   
Refuser   		    
Parents who refuse all vaccines for their child. Reasons for refusal may include distrust in the medical system, safety concerns, or personal or religious beliefs.   

(Adapted from Table 1 in AAP's "Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake")

Three Step Strategy to Building Vaccine Confidence

A three-step strategy can be used to build vaccine confidence among patients.

Introduce vaccines with the assumption that your patient will choose to vaccinate. Providers typically use two communication styles when discussing options with their patients: presumptive and participatory. Studies suggest that the presumptive method is more effective in increasing vaccination rates (5). The presumptive approach assumes readiness to vaccinate (e.g., "We’re going to..."), while the participatory approach invites discussion or seeks opinions (e.g., "Did you want to...?") (5).

Presumptive Approach tips:

  • Talk to your patients and their parents about any missed vaccines at every visit.
  • Be confident in your recommendations. Patients are more likely to accept vaccines when their healthcare providers believe in it.
  • Instead of asking, “What do you think about getting [ ] vaccine today?” Confidently say, “You are due for [ ] vaccine today.” Remember that tone and body language matter.
  • • Share the importance of vaccines to protect themselves or their children from potentially life-threatening diseases. Talk about your personal experiences with vaccination.

Strong provider recommendation is an evidence-based strategy to increase vaccine acceptance in patients (6). Children are more likely to receive vaccines when their parents receive a strong recommendation from a healthcare provider (1). The confidence to deliver strong vaccine recommendations stems from decades of medical experience, backed by scientific evidence on vaccine safety, efficacy, and effectiveness (1).

Strong Recommendation Examples:

  • "I strongly recommend your child get these vaccines today."
  • "These vaccines are very important to protect you from serious diseases."
  • "I believe in vaccines so strongly that I vaccinated my own children according to the vaccine schedule."
  • "This office has given thousands of doses of vaccines, and we have never seen a serious reaction."

For help on communicating confident, concise, and consistent (3Cs) vaccination recommendations, use Unity’s 3Cs free online course.

Additional examples of strategy implementation activities include:

If the patient or their parent is not receptive to your strong recommendation to receive vaccines, use motivational interviewing to explore their questions, concerns, or hesitancy.

What is Motivational Interviewing?

Motivational interviewing is a counseling method that can help patients overcome reluctance and make behavior changes (7). The physician’s role in motivational interviewing is to help address the patient’s concerns, not to solve the problem (7). This approach helps patients take charge of their own behavioral change (4).  

There are four key techniques ('OARS') in motivational interviewing.

  1. Open-ended questions: Start by listening carefully to the patient’s concerns about vaccines. This helps build trust and shows that you respect their viewpoint. Encourage patients to share their thoughts by asking questions to help the patient initiate behavior changes.
    1. “What’s your biggest concern about getting vaccinated?”
    2. “Tell me more about what you already know?”
  1. Affirmations: Acknowledge the patient’s progress and show empathy during setbacks. Affirmations are more motivating than persuasion. Even if you disagree, expressing empathy can help build trust. Respect the patient’s right to make their own decision. Offer support and assistance in exploring more about vaccines if they’re unsure.
    1. “I understand that you have concerns about the safety of vaccines. It’s perfectly okay to have questions. I’m here to provide the information you need to make the best decision for your health.”
    2. "Ultimately, the choice is yours, but I’m here to provide any additional information you need to feel comfortable."
  2. Reflective listening: Instead of giving advice, reflect the patient’s words to help them come up with solutions. Let the patient express their concerns fully.
    1. “You’re really worried and you want to make the best decision.”
    2. “You’re frightened by what you have read online.”
  3. Summarize: Recap the conversation, focusing on key points, and ask the patient to set a specific, small goal for their next steps. Follow up on this goal in future visits.

Additional Motivational Interviewing tips:

  • Provide clear, complete, and accurate information: Use simple and clear language to explain the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. Share scientifically-based information to address their concerns.
  • Use a Personalized Approach: Tailor the conversation to the patient’s specific concerns. If they’re worried about side effects, explain that side effects are rare while the benefits of vaccination are great.
  • Success Stories: Stories put a face on vaccine-preventable diseases. ShotbyShot Stories of Vaccine Preventable Diseases includes a collection of videos and written stories to provide education and awareness resources for your patients, colleagues, students, clients, and community.
  • Address Misinformation: Gently correct any myths or misinformation they might have heard. Use reliable sources like The Center for Disease Control and Prevention or World Health Organization to back up your points.
  • Respect Their Decision: While it’s important to encourage vaccination, always respect the patient’s right to make their own decision. Keep the door open for future conversations.

Remember: These conversations may take time, and they may continue over multiple visits. Visit these sites to learn more about motivational interviewing:

Addressing Common Myths and Misinformation About Vaccines
Truth Sandwich Method
  • The “Truth Sandwich” is a technique for addressing vaccine hesitancy.
  • It creates an opportunity for dialogue that corrects vaccine misinformation while reinforcing factual and evidence-based information.
  • By presenting accurate information first and last, this method helps patients better retain the correct facts.

Using the Truth Sandwich Strategy:

  • Start with the truth. The first frame gets the advantage. Tell people the real facts.
  • Indicate the lie. Let people know what the fake story or lie is.
  • Return to the truth. Repeat the truth. Remind everyone of the real, safe, and helpful facts.

There are 3 steps to the “Truth Sandwich” Example:

  1. Present correct information.
    • Example: Truth: "Vaccines save millions of lives every year."
  2. Debunk the myth or misinformation.
    • Example: Debunk: "That claim about vaccine risks is based on one discredited study."
  3. End by reinforcing with a positive message.
    • Example: Truth: "Vaccines are safe and essential for protecting our children and communities.

You can review more information about “truth sandwich” at Communicate Health.

Common Myths and Misinformation

People may have concerns about vaccine safety. These concerns are often based on myths, misinformation, or misunderstandings about how vaccines work. Below are common myths and misinformation about vaccine safety and how to address them.

One of the most persistent myths is that vaccines are unsafe. Vaccines undergo a rigorous development and approval process to ensure safety and effectiveness. Immunization is a public health triumph, saving millions of lives each year across the globe (15).

  • Start with the truth: Vaccines are safe, and the ingredients in vaccines are safe. Vaccines go through rigorous testing in clinical trials, extensive reviews by experts, and safety monitoring to make sure they are safe before they are given to the public. After they are approved for public use, they undergo continuous monitoring to track adverse events.
  • Indicate the lie: Some people still believe that vaccines are unsafe.
  • Return to the truth: The truth is that vaccines save millions of lives every year. They protect us from dangerous diseases without causing harm.

Another misconception is that immunity acquired through infection is better than vaccine-induced immunity. While natural immunity can be strong, it requires getting the disease which could result in serious complications like hospitalization, or even death. Vaccines provide a controlled exposure to a killed or weakened form of the disease without getting sick from the disease, offering a safer and often longer-lasting immunity than natural infection (9,13).

  • Start with the truth: Vaccines help your body build protection by safely teaching it how to fight off germs. They offer strong protection that can last a long time and help keep you from getting very sick.
  • Indicate the lie: Some people think that getting sick with an infection is better for your immune system than getting vaccinated. They believe that natural immunity is stronger, even though getting sick can be dangerous.
  • Return to the truth: The truth is that vaccines are a safer way to protect your body. They help you avoid getting seriously sick, needing to go to a hospital, or even dying from an infection. Vaccines work well and keep you safe from preventable diseases.

The myth linking vaccines to autism, which originated from a study conducted in the 1990s, has been debunked. Extensive research has shown no connection between vaccines and autism or other chronic conditions. This false belief undermines public trust in vaccination, endangering lives. (9,10)

  • Start with the truth: Lots of research has shown that vaccines are completely safe. They do not cause autism or other chronic conditions. In fact, the study that falsely claimed that vaccines caused autism was based on fraudulent science and retracted by the authors.
  • Indicate the lie: Some people still believe that vaccines cause autism or long-term health problems, even though this connection has been debunked by science.
  • Return to the truth: The truth is that vaccines have been tested many times and are safe. They protect you from serious diseases without causing autism or chronic conditions. Believing false information about vaccines can put people’s health at serious risk.

Vaccines contain ingredients needed to keep them effective and safe but some patients may believe they are harmful.

  • Start with the truth: The main ingredient in vaccines is water. All other vaccine ingredients are present in very small amounts, many of which are found naturally in the body.
  • Indicate the lie: Some people are afraid that vaccines have harmful ingredients that could make them sick.
  • Return to the truth: The truth is that the ingredients in vaccines are safe and help protect you. Many are found naturally in the body. Vaccines are carefully tested and monitored for safety.

(Adapted from the United for Adolescent Vaccination (UNITY) Common Myths about Vaccination (12) and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) Vaccine Misinformation  (11).)

Other common misconceptions and myths about immunization that can be referenced is Table 4 in AAP's Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake.

Vaccine Safety Systems

Several systems actively monitor vaccine safety after the vaccine is approved for use. When discussing vaccines with vaccine hesitant patients, it can be helpful to mention these safety monitoring systems to address safety concerns.

Monitoring System Data Source Population Monitored Management Key Features Advantages Limitations
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) Mandatory reporting by healthcare professionals and vaccine manufacturers for certain post-vaccination events Nationwide (U.S.) Managed by FDA and CDC Early detection system; Passive, voluntary reports; Generates hypotheses; Follow-up for serious cases Allows anyone to submit reports; Publicly available data Cannot determine causality; Prone to overreporting and underreporting
Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) Electronic health records from 13 major healthcare organizations nationwide 12.5 million individuals Managed by CDC in collaboration with health organizations Active surveillance; Hypothesis testing; Medical record review to confirm results; Strong methodology for vaccine safety studies Can estimate causal links; Real-time monitoring; High-quality data May miss adverse events with delayed onset; Primarily covers insured populations
Biologics Effectiveness and Safety System (BEST) Claims data, electronic health records (EHRs), and combined claims-EHR datasets 100 million individuals Managed by FDA Rapid data queries to detect or study adverse events; Can answer targeted vaccine safety questions Large population base; Can study vaccines’ safety in specific subgroups (e.g., those with pre-existing conditions, pregnant people) Limited pediatric vaccine evaluations; Requires further detailed epidemiological studies for statistical signals
Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Primarily medical records from healthcare providers Not specified Managed by CDC with medical research institutions Expertise in clinical, immunological, and vaccine safety for in-depth analysis of adverse events U.S. healthcare providers can request consults for complex vaccine safety questions for specific patients Limited scope and focus
Resources & Support

Contact & Support

  1. O’Leary, S. T., Opel, D. J., Cataldi, J. R., Hackell, J. M., O’Leary, S. T., Campbell, J. D., Ardura, M. I., Banerjee, R., Bryant, K. A., Caserta, M. T., Frenck, R., Gerber, J. S., John, C. C., Kourtis, A. P., Myers, A., Pannaraj, P., Ratner, A. J., Shah, S. S., Kimberlin, D. W., . . . Emanuel, A. (2024). Strategies for improving vaccine communication and uptake. PEDIATRICS, 153(3). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-065483
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Conversation tips for healthcare professionals: Vaccines and children. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/hcp/conversation-tips/index.html
  3. Gust, D., Brown, C., Sheedy, K., Hibbs, B., Weaver, D., & Nowak, G. (2005). Immunization Attitudes and Beliefs among Parents: Beyond a dichotomous perspective. American Journal of Health Behavior, 29(1), 81–92. https://doi.org/10.5993/ajhb.29.1.7
  4. Leask, J., Kinnersley, P., Jackson, C., Cheater, F., Bedford, H., & Rowles, G. (2012). Communicating with parents about vaccination: a framework for health professionals. BMC Pediatrics, 12(1).  https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-12-154 
  5. Tuckerman, J., Kaufman, J., & Danchin, M. (2022). Effective approaches to combat vaccine hesitancy. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 41(5), e243–e245. https://doi.org/10.1097/inf.0000000000003499
  6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Give a Strong Vaccine Recommendation. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/hcp/conversation-tips/index.html
  7. Steward, E. E. & Fox, C. (2011). Encouraging Patients to Change Unhealthy Behaviors With Motivational Interviewing. American Academy Family Physicians (AAFP).  https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/2011/0500/p21.html
  8. Developing Safe and Effective Vaccines. (2024). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-children/about/developing-safe-effective-vaccines.html
  9. Vaccine Safety: Examine the Evidence. (n.d.) healthychildren. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Vaccine-Studies-Examine-the-Evidence.aspx
  10. Taylor, L. E., Swerdfeger, A. L., & Eslick, G. D. (2014). Vaccines are not associated with autism: an evidence-based meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies. Vaccine, 32(29), 3623–3629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.04.085
  11. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (2023). Vaccine Misinformation. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. ph.lacounty.gov/ip/docs/vaccine-misinfo/VaccineMisinformation.pdf 
  12. Zeinstra, H. (2025). Common myths about vaccination. Unity Consortium. https://www.unity4teenvax.org/resource/common-myths-about-vaccination/
  13. Vashishtha, V. M., & Kumar, P. (2024). The durability of vaccine-induced protection: an overview. Expert Review of Vaccines, 23(1), 389–408.  https://doi.org/10.1080/14760584.2024.2331065
  1. Piltch-Loeb R, DiClemente R. The Vaccine Uptake Continuum: Applying Social Science Theory to Shift Vaccine Hesitancy. Vaccines (Basel). 2020 Feb 7;8(1):76. doi: 10.3390/vaccines8010076. PMID: 32046228; PMCID: PMC7157682.
  2. World Health Organization. (n.d.). Vaccines and immunization. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization#tab=tab_1


Adobe Reader

Note: PDF documents on this site were created using Adobe Acrobat 5.0 or later. Document functionality may be reduced if you are using an earlier version (4.x or less). Get the latest version of Adobe Acrobat.

  • Home  |
  • Careers  |
  • DPH Programs  |
  • Email: Webmaster  |
  • Notice of Privacy Practices | 
  • Website Privacy Policy  |
  • Accessibility  |
  • Disclaimer  |
  • Employee


    • Public Health has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translation. However, no computerized translation is perfect and is not intended to replace traditional translation methods. If questions arise concerning the accuracy of the information, please refer to the English edition of the website, which is the official version.

    Los Angeles County Seal: Enriching lives through effective and caring services