Five Respectful Ways to Address an Antivaxxer’s Hesitancy

As anxiety escalates in face of a resurgence of Covid-19 fueled by variants, tension builds between those who recognize the vaccine as a lifesaving answer and those who view it as an invasive healthcare intervention. Beyond the media coverage, family relationships are frayed with members who can’t talk about their positions and are anxious, angry and estranged in the midst of a pandemic. Can there even be a discussion when people are so polarized? In this show, guest expert Dr. Mena Mirhom, Columbia University Psychiatrist, invites us to draw upon psychological science to approach this difficult divide. He offers five ways to approach an antivaxxer’s hesitancy that recognize evidence is not enough, the context must be understood, there are places of agreement, and validating strengths matter as does respectful inquiry into the beliefs of the Antivaxxer. As Dr. Mirhorm will make clear, there is reason to find a way to bridge the divide – “ We are all in this together.”