From Hesitant to Hopeful: Why Some Parents Don’t Vaccinate—and How We Bridge the Gap

The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

Ever paused at a vaccine insert, googled an ingredient, or felt torn between fear and science?

Dr. Elisabeth Marnik (@sciencewhizliz) wasn’t vaccinated as a child. She grew up in an anti-vax household—but today, she’s a scientist, professor, and mom who vaccinates her own children and helps others feel informed, not fearful.

🧬 In this episode, we talk about what changed her mind—and how we move the conversation on vaccines away from shaming and toward shared values like protecting our kids.

We cover:

• What it was like growing up unvaccinated and how becoming a mom changed her entire perspective

• How mistrust in larger systems (schools, government, healthcare) fuels vaccine resistance

• What people often get wrong about vaccine hesitancy—and why yelling never changes minds

• The difference between being anti-vax and vaccine-hesitant—and why reducing it to a binary doesn’t help anyone

• Her powerful quote: “The reason my mom didn’t vaccinate is the same reason I chose to vaccinate—because I want to protect my kids.”

• How science communicators can do a better job at discussing vaccines

This conversation was inspired by one of her Substack pieces: 📖 Read it here

To connect with Dr. Liz Marnik follow her on Instagram @sciencewhizliz, check out all her resources at https://open.substack.com/pub/fromthescienceclass and https://www.elisabethmarnikphd.com/.

Check out the PedsDocTalk Vaccine Guide: ​​https://pedsdoctalk.com/vaccine-guide/

We’d like to know who is listening! Please fill out our Listener Survey to help us improve the show and learn about you!

0:00 – Understanding the Roots of Vaccine Hesitancy

3:09 – Fear vs. Mistrust: What’s Really Going On?

6:27 – How Systemic Bias Shapes Medical Trust

9:30 – The Problem with the “Just Trust Us” Approach

12:37 – Too Much Information Can Backfire

15:35 – Common Parent Fears About Vaccines

18:45 – Conversations That Actually Shift Perspective

21:42 – Validating Without Agreeing

24:57 – When Curiosity Builds More Trust Than Convincing

28:00 – Small Wins That Add Up

Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠.

Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support.

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices