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You might have seen some startling reports last week that measles cases for 2026 are higher than they’ve been in 35 years. One key driver that public health experts have pointed to: The number of kids who get their childhood vaccines is falling, as a growing number of parents have doubts that vaccines are safe and effective.
Traditionally, public health advocates have responded to vaccine hesitancy by providing medically accurate information. That’s important, but it isn’t enough, says Katherine Shwetz, a lecturer in medical humanities at Rice University.
Shwetz studies how groups that promote skepticism about vaccines craft their messages. She explains how they undermine vaccine confidence by using storytelling techniques that move beyond the realm of medicine to draw on larger themes like individual freedom and government control.
“What makes these stories the secret weapons of vaccine hesitancy is that they often are not actually about vaccines at all,” she writes. Engaging with these more existential underlying fears “may open the way for a more inclusive and respectful approach to healthcare.”
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