Stop Blaming Parents. Start Fixing the Problem.
Every few weeks it seems like another headline drops warning us that measles cases are on the rise. And every time, the media’s immediate reaction is to wag a finger at “anti-vaxxers” or “vaccine-hesitant parents,” blaming them for some impending health crisis.
But what these pieces almost never mention is why parents are hesitant. Or that they have every right to be.
Let me be clear up front: I believe the measles vaccine is safe. My kids got it. I’m not against vaccinations. But pretending that today’s mistrust of medicine just fell out of the sky is disingenuous at best, and gaslighting at worst.
The truth is, many people don’t trust the government or the scientific community anymore…and with good reason.
COVID Was a Turning Point
The COVID era shattered public trust. We were told to “trust the science,” but what we were actually given was politics dressed up in a lab coat.
Let’s not forget:
We were told masks worked, then didn’t, then did again…even after internal emails showed some health officials knew early on that cloth masks weren’t effective.
We were told the vaccine would stop transmission…until it didn’t.
We were told school closures were essential…and now we’re watching the fallout of that decision in our kids' academic and mental health data.
We were assured there were no serious side effects, even while cases of myocarditis, particularly in young men and teenage boys, were quietly acknowledged only after they became too frequent to ignore.
We watched Big Tech silence doctors, researchers, and even parents who questioned any of it…not with conspiracy theories, but with legitimate medical concerns.
And now we're shocked that parents are hesitant to vaccinate their children?
Mistrust Isn't Irrational. It’s Earned.
When government and scientific institutions who got nearly everything wrong during COVID now insist that you're selfish or ignorant for asking questions, it doesn’t inspire trust…it inspires resentment.
We cannot demand public trust while refusing public accountability. And we can't expect people to fall in line when their lived experience taught them not to.
We told people “the science is settled,” when science…real science…is never settled. It's debated, tested, transparent, and reproducible. Blind obedience isn’t scientific…it’s dogma.
So Where Do We Go From Here?
If we want people to trust medicine again, then we need to fix the systems that broke that trust. Here are a few places to start:
Radical transparency - Share everything: trial data, dissenting opinions, funding sources. All of it.
Hold officials accountable - When health authorities get it wrong, admit it. Don’t memory-hole mistakes. Own them.
Focus on informed consent - Respect that parents are not lab rats or ideological pawns. They are gatekeepers of their children’s well-being.
Acknowledge the risks - No medical treatment is without risk. Being honest about that builds trust. Pretending otherwise destroys it.
It’s Time to Rebuild
We don’t need more scolding editorials. We need honesty. We need humility. And we need a scientific community that remembers it earns trust…not demands it.
Until that happens, expect parents to keep asking hard questions. And maybe stop blaming them for a credibility crisis you created.
