“ There was a time when I could control everything he was exposed to ,” she sighed . “ What chance do I have now ?”

That ’ s a bit how I feel in general practice .

Once upon a time , even within the span of my own career , my advice was valued and considered to be reliable and worthwhile .

Now , one contends with an army of know-it-alls , filled with unsubstantiated theories and ideas that negate proven opportunities for patients to maximise their health . Their brand of health literacy is health lunacy .

I find that vaccination fatigue is a huge area of contention and falls into this arena . But trying to fight vaccination fatigue is exhausting , and I don ’ t appreciate it when religion gets mixed into the argument .

One patient of mine , a smoker , refused a Shingrix vaccination on the premise that they didn ’ t want to introduce anything more into their body .

Instead , they preferred to put their health “ in the hands of God ”.

How do you refute that kind of viewpoint in an appropriate manner ?

God certainly has his hands full already these days with all the misery afflicting humanity , and blocking the reactivation of the herpes virus , I would think , may not be high on his list of priorities .

Do I tell my patient that God has channelled me to protect them ?

No , I relay the story of another patient whose shingles caused foot drop , necessitating the permanent reliance on a walker for mobility and a lengthy stay in rehab .

It also caused persistent , severe , debilitating post-herpetic neuralgia that has not abated for a decade now . I put it succinctly . “ This patient has never recovered from their shingles ,” I explain in a way I assume will allow him to see the light .

But my story had no effect .

“ In God We Trust ” has been inscribed on all coins in the US since 1938 , but that ’ s not an excuse for rejecting immunisation as one of the most effective public health measures ever delivered .

Given the difficulty of shifting

One must contend with an army of know-it-alls , filled with unsubstantiated theories and ideas .

ingrained patterns of belief in adults , I believe that the solution is to introduce an age-appropriate immunisation curriculum through schools .

The benefits of vaccination can be directly shown , for example , through old news footage of the afflicted .

I believe that powerful visuals ,

PICTURE CREDIT

along with didactic presentations about the diseases that are currently being prevented through our immunisation programs , would leave a lasting impression on young minds . Field trips to old cemeteries would also be instructive , and school projects could be directed towards collecting data on childhood diseases recorded on tombstones .

I think our children ’ s education is key to challenging the misinformation and distrust of scientific evidence that is plaguing older generations . The glossy posters in the surgery and all the pamphlets are just not doing their job .

I am tired of the effort required to try to convince people about the benefits of immunisation .

I used to regard it as a personal failing if I couldn ’ t get someone to accept vaccination , but I ’ ve become

more resigned of late . I know of one colleague ( now retired ) who used to think to himself when confronting a denier : “ Just go away and die .”

Meanwhile , my grandson is trying to be a health influencer already .

His mama attended a school fete where pizza was being served .

He was disturbed that Mama wasn ’ t eating any .

“ I ’ m watching my salt intake ,” Mama said .

“ I ate the pizza , and it has 0 % salt ,” the four-year-old asserted .

She smiled but somehow wasn ’ t swayed .

How refreshing to recognise malarkey as just that — wherever it comes from and whatever its intended purpose .

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