How vaccine skeptics use storytelling effectively to create powerful but medically inaccurate messaging

Recognizing the stories behind people’s concerns with vaccines can help public health advocates build a more inclusive approach to healthcare.

By: Katherine Shwetz, Rice University; University of Toronto, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 27, 2026

Words: 1,231

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 2 days ago

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By Katherine Shwetz, Rice University; University of Toronto

As long as there have been vaccines, there have been people who doubted their science and safety.

Back in 19th-century England, people rioted against a mandatory smallpox vaccine, claiming that it violated civil rights and was an affront to human bodily integrity. In the United States, organizations dedicated to resisting vaccines have existed since the Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League of Brooklyn was established in 1894.

Researchers …

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