This blog is based on the Healthful Woman Podcast episode, in which Dr. Emily Oster joins Dr. Nathan Fox to discuss vaccinations. They explore how vaccine skepticism has been a long-standing issue. The conversation highlights the complexity of vaccine acceptance and the delicate balance between public health needs and personal freedoms.
Why are Vaccines Such a Controversial Topic?
Vaccines have always sparked debate. As Dr. Emily Oster explains, skepticism isn’t new, and it dates back to the earliest vaccination efforts. Part of the challenge is that vaccines are preventive. Unlike treatments where you see results quickly, vaccines work quietly in the background. For example, a child who gets the measles shot may never notice a direct benefit, because they never get sick.
This invisibility can make vaccines harder for some to trust. While a small group of skeptics has always existed, Dr. Oster notes that concern has grown, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought vaccine debates into the spotlight like never before.
Discussion About The COVID-19 Vaccine
When reflecting on the COVID-19 vaccine, both Dr. Nathan Fox and Dr. Emily Oster agreed it was nothing short of a scientific miracle.
“It’s a miracle,” said Dr. Oster. “Yes, I want to be clear. As a matter of both science and policy, the fact that we had vaccines going in people’s arms 12 months after the virus was detected, and that I think it’s pretty clear it saved millions and millions of lives.”
Yet, the success story quickly became overshadowed by criticism. For many, the speed of development raised questions. Safety trials were accelerated out of necessity, balancing the urgent need to save lives with the risks associated with limited long-term data. While understandable, this created lingering unease.
Despite these challenges, there were bright spots in the early rollout. Dr. Oster highlighted West Virginia’s approach, led by Dr. Clay Marsh, as a model of early success. By prioritizing nursing homes and older populations, the state quickly vaccinated its most vulnerable citizens.
But somewhere along the way, momentum shifted. While millions celebrated the protection the vaccine offered, others grew increasingly wary.
Vaccine Skepticism and the COVID-19 Mandates
One of the most significant turning points in vaccine skepticism was the decision to implement COVID-19 vaccine mandates. When the conversation shifted from “everyone can get it” to “everyone must get it,” public sentiment began to change. For many, mandates felt like an infringement on personal freedoms. Healthcare workers in particular experienced this shift in a profound way.
Distrust of the COVID-19 vaccine also spilled over into attitudes toward other, long-established vaccines. Parents who had never questioned immunizations before are now expressing hesitancy about vaccines like the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, despite decades of proven safety and effectiveness. This unintended “hangover effect” represents one of the most damaging legacies of the pandemic-era vaccine debates.
Still, the current climate provides an opportunity to readdress these questions openly. The scientific community has extensive data on traditional vaccines, and by revisiting the evidence, providers can rebuild confidence among patients.
How Safe Are Vaccines, and What About COVID Boosters for Kids?
Vaccines are held to some of the highest safety standards because they’re given to millions of healthy people. Before approval, each vaccine goes through extensive randomized trials, often alongside the standard vaccine schedule, to test both its safety and interactions with other vaccines. While trials can’t always catch rare side effects, ongoing surveillance systems, like VAERS and the Vaccine Safety Datalink in the U.S., track safety continuously, with similar programs worldwide.
However, it is important to note that vaccines are not completely risk-free.
“No medical treatment has no risks,” explained Dr. Oster. “And that’s why we have vaccine inserts. That’s why we talk about those risks. When you’re choosing to vaccinate your kid, they’re very small, but they’re not zero because it’s a medical treatment, and all medical treatments have risks, but also it has benefits, which are preventing deadly diseases.”
When it comes to COVID boosters in children, the picture is slightly different from that of adults. Adults, especially older adults, benefit strongly from boosters, which reduce the risk of severe illness. For healthy kids, most already have protection from past vaccines or infections, and serious illness is rare.
Oster emphasizes that boosters are safe, and families who choose them aren’t making a mistake, but the urgency isn’t the same as with flu shots. Overall, communication is key: some parents want clear directives, while others want a collaborative discussion. Being upfront about the type of guidance you want can make these conversations smoother and more personalized.
Learn More
To learn more about what Dr. Fox and Dr. Oster have to say about vaccines, listen to the whole podcast episode! For women’s health concerns, contact Carnegie Women’s Health today by completing our online contact form.
