From Hesitant to Hopeful: Why Some Parents Don’t Vaccinate—and How We Bridge the Gap

Ever paused at a vaccine insert, googled an ingredient, or felt torn between fear and science?

Dr. Elisabeth Marnik (@sciencewhizliz) wasn’t vaccinated as a child. She grew up in an anti-vax household—but today, she’s a scientist, professor, and mom who vaccinates her own children and helps others feel informed, not fearful.

🧬 In this episode, we talk about what changed her mind—and how we move the conversation on vaccines away from shaming and toward shared values like protecting our kids.

We cover:

• What it was like growing up unvaccinated and how becoming a mom changed her entire perspective

• How mistrust in larger systems (schools, government, healthcare) fuels vaccine resistance

• What people often get wrong about vaccine hesitancy—and why yelling never changes minds

• The difference between being anti-vax and vaccine-hesitant—and why reducing it to a binary doesn’t help anyone

• Her powerful quote: “The reason my mom didn’t vaccinate is the same reason I chose to vaccinate—because I want to protect my kids.”

• How science communicators can do a better job at discussing vaccines

This conversation was inspired by one of her Substack pieces: 📖 Read it here

To connect with Dr. Liz Marnik follow her on Instagram @sciencewhizliz, check out all her resources at https://open.substack.com/pub/fromthescienceclass and https://www.elisabethmarnikphd.com/.

Check out the PedsDocTalk Vaccine Guide: ​​https://pedsdoctalk.com/vaccine-guide/

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0:00 – Understanding the Roots of Vaccine Hesitancy

3:09 – Fear vs. Mistrust: What’s Really Going On?

6:27 – How Systemic Bias Shapes Medical Trust

9:30 – The Problem with the “Just Trust Us” Approach

12:37 – Too Much Information Can Backfire

15:35 – Common Parent Fears About Vaccines

18:45 – Conversations That Actually Shift Perspective

21:42 – Validating Without Agreeing

24:57 – When Curiosity Builds More Trust Than Convincing

28:00 – Small Wins That Add Up

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