OU professor calls for ‘community-based approach’ to vaccine policy crisis

In an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Oakland University philosophy professor Mark Navin, Ph.D., HEC-C, spotlighted the country’s recent vaccine policy crisis, advocating for a “community-based approach” to strengthen public confidence in vaccines. 

“I wrote this article because the U.S. is experiencing dangerous upheavals in its vaccine policies, from the collapse of the CDC as a legitimate institution, to efforts to eliminate school mandates, to disease outbreaks and deaths,” said Navin. “In particular, I wanted to call for moving past relying on vaccine mandates – that strategy will no longer work – and moving toward trust-building, education and community partnerships to sustain vaccine confidence and protect public health.” 

Navin published the article with Lainie Ross, M.D., Ph.D., a nationally recognized pediatric ethicist and current chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Bioethics. The piece calls for community leaders to build trust and promote public health by emphasizing that, regardless of debates over policy, scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows that vaccines are safe and effective. 

“We need a comprehensive, community-based approach to vaccine promotion that includes partnerships with trusted local leaders, religious organizations and parent groups who can provide credible voices for vaccine promotion,” the article said.

Navin is professor and chair in Oakland University’s Department of Philosophy. He teaches seminars about pediatric ethics and vaccine hesitancy, has been interviewed for numerous public health-focused media stories and was a featured speaker at the 2023 World Vaccine Congress West Coast. 

Ross, who was awarded an honorary degree from OU in 2023, is dean’s professor and inaugural chair in the Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics at the University of Rochester. She has lectured around the world and has published five books and over 400 articles.

“I was delighted to get to work with Lainie on this article,” said Navin. “Her expertise in clinical ethics and child welfare complemented my focus on public trust and policy design.”