How Physicians Can Strengthen Vaccine Confidence During National Immunization Awareness Month

August marks National Immunization Awareness Month, a timely opportunity for physicians to take an active role in promoting vaccine confidence within their communities. In this brief interview excerpt, Sarah Sams, MD, highlights simple, high-impact actions clinicians can take—from speaking at local parent groups to writing letters to the editor—that can help counter misinformation and reinforce public trust in immunization. Her message: engagement, not silence, is the antidote to fear-based narratives.

Sarah Sams, MD, is a board-certified family physician who is a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Dr Sams also an associate director and full-time faculty member at Grant Family Medicine Residency in Columbus, Ohio.

The following transcript has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

Patient Care: What is one action you believe every physician can take this month, during National Immunization Awareness Month, to strengthen vaccine confidence?

Sarah Sams, MD: I think doing interviews like this, writing letters to the editor, or speaking to local groups—like PTOs or Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) groups—can help educate the public about the importance of vaccines. Talk about what the recommendations are, why we make them, and what the safety data show. Make sure there is awareness in your own community not only about where to get vaccines, but also that you're available to discuss people's concerns. That way, there’s real education happening—not just fear-mongering social media posts that can frighten our patients.

Patient Care: Is there anything else we didn’t touch on that you’d like to add?

Sams: Family physicians are a really good source of information for the entire family—not just for kids, not just for adults, but for everyone. So please encourage people to reach out to their family physicians for information. The AAFP offers patient-facing resources through familydoctor.org, where patients can access trusted information when they have concerns about what’s real and what’s not in the news.