LAUSR

The continued success of vaccines, one of the most effective public health interventions, depends on high rates of acceptance. Vaccine refusal in the United States has increased since the late 1990s.1 This trend has coincided with an increase in vaccine safety concerns. Such concerns result from easy recall of adverse events, misinformation, and human tendency to poorly judge probabilities. When a significant proportion of the US population is impervious to scientific facts, such as belief in human-induced climate change, it is difficult to communicate vaccine-related information to patients. Parent-physician communication in such conditions is challenging and, if done improperly, may worsen the problem. Although the evidence base for vaccinerelated communications is still emerging, we present developments in social and behavioral communication, behavioral economics, social psychology, and persuasion theory to guide productive vaccine discussions in the clinic.