Uncertainty, decision-making and trust: lessons from the MMR controversy

Abstract

Uncertainty about the likelihood of a particular child coming to harm is a chief concern for parents making decisions about the MMR vaccine, but little attention has been given to the ways that parents cope with this uncertainty. Social science frameworks may help practitioners to understand parental decision making and its implications for community practice. In focus groups and interviews involving 87 parents, three distinct strategies for dealing with uncertainty emerged: reducing complexity through trust, compromise strategies that embrace ambivalence and identifying vulnerable groups. Community practitioners should seek to understand how parents may be using these strategies in order to appropriately tailor their information provision and foster trusting relationships in the communities they serve.