Sharon Nachman, MD, equips pharmacists with clear, evidence-based talking points to address vaccine hesitancy and help parents navigate the confusion created by the legal battle over childhood immunization schedules.
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Nachman emphasized that pharmacists are uniquely equipped to explain the rigorous clinical trial process behind vaccine licensure. She offered a salient example, noting that the 2 licensed rotavirus vaccines were studied in 66,000 and 80,000 children, respectively, with half of each group receiving a placebo, before being deemed safe and effective. This kind of concrete, trial-level information, she argued, can meaningfully shift a parent’s perception from skepticism to confidence.
On common vaccine myths, Nachman was direct. Thimerosal has not been present in any pediatric vaccine since 2000—more than 25 years—making concerns about it entirely outdated. On aluminum, she suggested pharmacists contextualize the amounts found in vaccines against everyday sources like breast milk, baby formula, and food, helping parents understand that aluminum is ubiquitous and that vaccine quantities pose no meaningful risk.
Regarding the legal and policy landscape, Nachman confirmed that the court ruling defaults vaccination guidance back to the original Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations and noted that 95% of American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians members reported they never changed their practice in the first place. Several states, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, have also reaffirmed their commitment to the original schedule.
If you really want to speak to an expert, you know how to find them: it's your child’s pediatrician. - Sharon Nachman, MD
Nachman closed with a clear message for pharmacists to share with confused families: vaccines are safe, effective, backed by robust data, and do not cause autism spectrum disorder. And when parents want expert guidance, she urged pharmacists to direct them to their child’s pediatrician—not social media.
