A pediatric practice in Massachusetts has adopted a strategy of welcoming families with vaccine concerns rather than dismissing them outright, a departure from the increasingly common dismissal policies used by many independent practices. The approach reflects tension in the medical community about how to respond to rising vaccine hesitancy amid changing federal guidance and shifting public attitudes toward immunizations.
Dr. Aaron Bornstein and his partners at Middleboro Pediatrics require an initial meeting with vaccine-hesitant parents to understand their concerns and to establish whether a trusting relationship can be formed. Bornstein noted that he needs to assess whether parents would accept his medical guidance in other areas, such as antibiotic recommendations, to determine if the practice is a good fit. The practice’s willingness to work with these families has attracted significant new patient volume, with the pediatricians meeting two or three such families weekly after a nearby clinic formalized a dismissal policy earlier in the year.
The landscape for vaccine confidence has shifted notably, driven in part by federal policy changes and statements from government health officials. In January, the Trump administration altered recommended childhood vaccine schedules through executive action, and President Trump subsequently signed an executive order demanding the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine be separated into three individual shots while making claims about vaccine safety without evidence. Political divides in vaccine confidence have widened, with recent surveys showing substantially higher trust levels among Democrats than Republicans.
National vaccination coverage data presents a mixed picture. The measles, mumps, rubella vaccination rate among kindergarteners stands at 92% nationally, a modest decline from the 95% level maintained between 2015 and 2020. However, public health experts note that 95% coverage is the threshold needed to prevent outbreaks. The U.S. recorded more measles cases in 2025 and 2026 combined than in the previous 24 years, including the first measles deaths in nearly a decade. Regional variation reveals gaps obscured by national averages—in a South Carolina outbreak, while statewide MMR coverage was 94% and county coverage was 89%, immunization verification at the school linked to initial cases was only 17%.
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