Rebuilding Trust: What the Autism Community Teaches Us About Vaccine Confidence
Thu Jan 22 2026
How do we rebuild trust in vaccines when fear and misinformation stand in the way, especially for autistic individuals and their families?
In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices, host Eric Racine is joined by co-host Heather Entenmann, U.S. Public Health Engagement Lead at Sanofi, for a thoughtful conversation on vaccine confidence, trust, and inclusion. Together, they welcome two leading voices in public health and advocacy: Danielle Hall, former Vaccine Education Lead at the Autism Society of America, and Dr. Kelly Moore, President and CEO of Immunize.org.
Drawing on lived experience, decades of public health leadership, and frontline advocacy work, the conversation explores why the long-debunked myth linking vaccines and autism continues to persist, and why rebuilding trust requires more than facts alone. The discussion highlights how healthcare experiences, sensory needs, anxiety, and empathy all play critical roles in shaping vaccine decisions, and what advocacy leaders and providers can do differently to better support autistic individuals and their families.
In this episode, you’ll gain insights on:
Why misinformation about vaccines and autism endures, and how to address it with empathy, not judgmentHow healthcare experiences and sensory needs influence vaccine confidence in the autism communityPractical ways providers and vaccination sites can reduce anxiety and create more inclusive, respectful experiences for immunizations in any disease areaHow advocacy organizations, healthcare professionals, and trusted messengers can counter misinformation by leading with empathy and authenticityThis conversation is a powerful reminder that rebuilding trust in public health starts with listening, understanding lived experiences, and meeting people where they are, because confidence is built not just through evidence, but also through empathy.
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How do we rebuild trust in vaccines when fear and misinformation stand in the way, especially for autistic individuals and their families? In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices, host Eric Racine is joined by co-host Heather Entenmann, U.S. Public Health Engagement Lead at Sanofi, for a thoughtful conversation on vaccine confidence, trust, and inclusion. Together, they welcome two leading voices in public health and advocacy: Danielle Hall, former Vaccine Education Lead at the Autism Society of America, and Dr. Kelly Moore, President and CEO of Immunize.org. Drawing on lived experience, decades of public health leadership, and frontline advocacy work, the conversation explores why the long-debunked myth linking vaccines and autism continues to persist, and why rebuilding trust requires more than facts alone. The discussion highlights how healthcare experiences, sensory needs, anxiety, and empathy all play critical roles in shaping vaccine decisions, and what advocacy leaders and providers can do differently to better support autistic individuals and their families. In this episode, you’ll gain insights on: Why misinformation about vaccines and autism endures, and how to address it with empathy, not judgmentHow healthcare experiences and sensory needs influence vaccine confidence in the autism communityPractical ways providers and vaccination sites can reduce anxiety and create more inclusive, respectful experiences for immunizations in any disease areaHow advocacy organizations, healthcare professionals, and trusted messengers can counter misinformation by leading with empathy and authenticityThis conversation is a powerful reminder that rebuilding trust in public health starts with listening, understanding lived experiences, and meeting people where they are, because confidence is built not just through evidence, but also through empathy.