@article{10.22454/FamMed.2026.0110,
author = {McGuigan, Kelly and de la Cruz, Maria Syl D. and Leach, William T. and Sonoda, Kento},
title = {Education on Vaccine Hesitancy in Family Medicine Clerkships: A CERA Study},
journal = {Family Medicine},
volume = {0},
number = {0},
year = {1},
month = {1},
doi = {10.22454/FamMed.2026.0110},
abstract = {Background and Objectives: While vaccine hesitancy (VH) is a growing challenge in clinical practice, formal training within medical education is limited. Family medicine clerkships provide a unique setting for learners to engage in vaccine counseling with diverse patient populations. This study examined the prevalence of VH education within family medicine clerkships and explored curricular approaches, preferred timing, and perceived barriers to implementation.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of US and Canadian family medicine clerkship directors through the 2025 Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance survey. Questions assessed whether VH content is included, preferred timing for instruction, teaching strategies, and perceived barriers. We used descriptive statistics to summarize responses.
Results: Of 174 eligible directors, 100 (57.5%) responded. One-third (33%) reported teaching VH during the clerkship. Although most clerkship directors agreed VH is important to address in the clerkship, competing curricular priorities (47%) and perceived duplication with other rotations (19%) were the most common barriers. Half (50%) preferred teaching VH in preclinical years, while 28% favored integration during the family medicine clerkship. Interest in using free online modules was slightly positive.
Conclusions: The preclinical years are an important time to introduce VH curricular strategies, with application of these tools in the clinical years. The development of standardized curricula that incorporate evidence-based tools could help future physicians more effectively address VH.},
URL = {https://journals.stfm.org//familymedicine/online-first/mcguigan-0110/},
eprint = {https://journals.stfm.org//media/v2alucpw/fammed-2026-0110.pdf},
}