Voices of Vaccine Hesitancy and Refusal during a Measles Outbreak in NY State

Background: Over the last years, growing numbers of parents in developed countries are choosing not to vaccinate their children. Since September 2018, the Rockland County in NY state has been facing the most significant Measles Outbreak of the past 25 years, and one of the most concerning issues is the pockets of unvaccinated children.

Objectives: Gain a deeper understanding of nature, meaning, and lived experience of parents from a Waldorf School community who refuse or hesitate to have their children vaccinated during a Measles outbreak in the county of Rockland.

Methodology: The interviews were conducted during the first semester of 2019. The Waldorf School Community in Rockland County has one of the highest percentages of students with a religious exemption; only 52% of the students received the Measles vaccine when the outbreak began. Department of Health ordered that unvaccinated students were not allowed to attend schools unless the outbreak was finished or they got vaccinated. Individual interviews using Oral History methodology were performed with parents who demonstrated concerns, hesitancy or refused to vaccinate during the outbreak. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed through the lens of Phenomenology. Most of the parents claimed their right to make decisions regarding their family. They talked about fear, isolation and the lack of opportunity to have a conversation about vaccination in medical offices. The theme (dis)trust in medical authorities is an essential aspect of hesitant parents’ discourse.

Conclusion: vaccine hesitancy and refusal are a complex issue that reflects the growing distrust in health authorities. Healthcare professionals must understand parents concerns and empathetically address them in a medical encounter.