How can I effectively manage and document vaccine hesitancy among parents in my practice?

Effectively managing and documenting vaccine hesitancy among parents in general practice involves several key steps:

• Engage in open, sensitive conversations: Allow sufficient time during appointments to discuss any concerns or questions parents may have about vaccinations, providing personalised responses and reassurance about vaccine safety and benefits. Use written information or reputable websites to support these discussions.
• Explain benefits and risks clearly: Emphasise that vaccination helps prevent serious illnesses, including meningitis in young children, and that serious adverse effects are very rare. Reassure parents about common mild side effects and how to manage them.
• Obtain informed consent: Ensure consent is given voluntarily by a fully informed person with parental responsibility, documenting this consent process carefully in the patient record.
• Record vaccine offers and decisions: Document in the medical record whether vaccination was offered, accepted, declined, or if there was no response. Include details of consent, vaccine name, batch number, expiry date, dose, route, site of administration, and any adverse reactions reported.
• Identify and address barriers: Recognise common barriers such as misinformation, lack of trust, cultural or religious views, needle phobia, or language difficulties, and tailor communication accordingly.
• Use prompts and reminders: Add prompts to patient records for children overdue for vaccinations to facilitate follow-up and opportunistic vaccination offers.
• Provide training and resources for staff: Ensure healthcare professionals have training on how to discuss vaccinations effectively and manage hesitancy sensitively.

These approaches align with NICE recommendations to support shared decision making, improve vaccine uptake, and maintain accurate, consistent documentation in general practice ³,⁴,¹.