Vaccine hesitancy resources and practice tools
Use these curated resources and tools to support your work with vaccine-hesitant patients and parents
Communication strategies
Read these articles on evidence-based conversation approaches.
Moving towards acceptance
This one-hour module provides guidance to counter the concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents and a practical approach to improved decision-making.
Canadian Paediatric Society
Countering vaccine hesitancy
This paper provides a background on vaccine hesitancy and addresses parental concerns about vaccination.
Pediatrics | August 29, 2016
Addressing vaccine hesitancy
Using case examples, this article provides tips for primary care physicians working with vaccine-hesitant parents.
Canadian Family Physician | March 2019
Working with vaccine-hesitant parents
Access five practical tips for addressing vaccine hesitancy among parents and patients using a checklist.
Canadian Paediatric Society | September 2018
The PrOTCT framework
The PrOTCT framework, like the Ask-Tell-Ask model, provides a stepwise approach to addressing vaccine hesitancy with your patients.
View an educational video on applying the PrOTCT framework to conversations with your patients who are hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ontario Medical Association
How to talk to reluctant patients about the flu shot
A brief overview of the ‘Ask-Tell-Ask’ framework’ tool that helps address patients' concerns about vaccination.
American Academy of Family Physicians | September-October 2017
Approaching difficult communication tasks in oncology
In this article, empirical studies and expert practice are used to describe important considerations for physicians and other clinicians about communicating with patients and their families.
American Cancer Society | 2005
Talking with parents about vaccines for infants
This article provides conversational techniques with vaccine-hesitant patients in the presumptive approach framework.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | April 2018
How to talk to parents about vaccines
These strategies for health care professionals provide communication tips on how to address parental concerns on vaccine safety.
World Health Organization | 2021
Patient-centered communication
Learn basic skills on how to have sequenced patient-centred discussions using open-ended questions and focused listening.
American Family Physician | January 2017
Immunization communication tool
Access quick references on conversation approaches and answers to common parental vaccine concerns.
BC Centre for Disease Control | 2021
Reducing pain during vaccine injections
A clinical practice guideline with recommendations for reducing pain during vaccinations in both children and adults.
CMAJ | September 2015
Personal stories
Read about people who have been affected by vaccine-preventable diseases.
I Boost Immunity
I Boost Immunity is a non-profit health initiative intended to address misinformation and anti-scientific myths about immunization and communicable diseases.
Public Health Association of BC and UNICEF Canada
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
In these stories, we read about children and adults who were directly affected by a range of preventable diseases such as Chickenpox, Measles and Hepatitis A.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Personal vaccine testimonies
This educational website provides facts about vaccines and diseases they prevent along with personal testimonies organized by disease.
The Immunization Action Coalition
For Jude, for everyone
A Toronto-based family whose two-year-old son died from the flu curate a website dedicated to facts and resources about the flu.
For Jude, for everyone.
Education materials
These ready-to-use vaccine awareness materials can serve as educational tools in clinic settings.
Immunization and vaccine awareness materials
Use these immunization and vaccine awareness materials in your office and share with patients and parents.
Government of Canada
Immunization through the lifespan poster
This poster illustrates when we should be immunized throughout our lifespan by age.
Vaccines and immunization information
This dedicated web page on vaccines and immunization includes a vaccine scheduling tool and personal stories that address vaccine hesitancy.
Government of Ontario
The Immunization Well-Child Toolkit
This toolkit includes handouts health care providers can share with patients when communicating about infectious diseases and the importance of vaccines.
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Educational resources and campaigns
These resources are updated frequently and offer a range of posters and promotional materials for different immunization campaigns.
Immunize Canada
Your Child’s Best Shot: A Parent’s Guide to Vaccination, 2015
This book is a comprehensive Canadian reference on vaccinations written for parents and edited by Dr. Dorothy Moore.
Canadian Paediatric Society