A pediatrician for more than three decades, Dr. Richard Besser reflects about a conversation he had with a couple in 1993 who were expecting their first child. He explained how vaccines are incredibly safe and effective, and why babies should be vaccinated fully and on time and said if they still felt differently than he did, they should probably find another pediatrician. They got up and walked out.
He reflected a lot about that conversation over the years as routine vaccination rates have declined and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases have surged.
"My first mistake was talking instead of listening. I should have slowed down. I should have given them the time and space to explain their thought process. I should have given myself the time to empathize with their perspective."
The above is an excerpt of an op-ed originally published in STAT .
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