Immunizations are a key component of childhood health and wellness and are a primary reason why parents today live with much less anxiety and fear when their children experience an infection. RSV is a current example of an immunization that parents overwhelming support as it prevents over 90% of hospitalizations for those children that received the immunization.  Misinformation and disinformation of immunizations online has been attributed to a decrease in vaccine confidence; however, studies show that vaccine confidence rates have remained steady and are consistent with pre-pandemic levels. Despite this data, pediatricians have reported an increase in parents expressing hesitancy or dismissing proven science when counseling about vaccines in a clinic or hospital setting. 

To support pediatricians in Montana and South Dakota, MTAAP has partnered with the South Dakota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (SDAAP), Montana Department of Health and Human Services, Immunize South Dakota and Montana Families for Vaccines to address vaccine confidence, specifically in lower confidence areas, to support providers in improving vaccine rates via development of a trusted messenger campaign that utilizes the AAP and Frameworks developed toolkit to discuss specific hesitancy concerns associated with living in rural America. 

MTAAP has developed a parent facing resource website as part of thie trusted messenger campaign. It recommends parents look at HealthyChildren.org (AAP’s parenting website) or the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Vaccine Education Center when looking for credible information about childhood immunizations. v