How should I address parental concerns regarding vaccine safety and efficacy during consultations?

Addressing parental concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy during consultations involves several key steps:

• Provide clear, evidence-based information: Explain the benefits of vaccination, emphasising that vaccines help prevent serious illnesses such as meningitis in young children.
• Reassure about safety: Inform parents that vaccinations are safe and that serious adverse effects are very rare. Common side effects are usually mild and limited to pain, swelling, or redness at the injection site, and sometimes mild fever.
• Discuss management of side effects: Advise that if pain or fever occurs after vaccination, paracetamol or ibuprofen can be used as needed, but these should not be given preventatively to reduce fever following infant pneumococcal vaccinations.
• Offer written and reliable resources: Provide parents with written information such as the Public Health England leaflet "What to expect after vaccinations" and direct them to trusted websites like the NHS for further details on vaccine safety, risks, and benefits.
• Allow time for questions and personalised responses: Create space in the consultation to listen to any concerns or questions parents may have and respond with tailored information or signpost to further support.
• Ensure informed consent: Confirm that parents or carers are fully informed about the vaccine and vaccination procedure, including possible adverse effects and how to manage them, before obtaining consent.

This approach helps build trust, reduces anxiety, and supports informed decision-making by parents or carers regarding vaccination for their children.

References: ¹,²,³,⁴