The “Sandwich Approach” and Other Tips for Talking about Vaccine Hesitancy

In April 2022, the Philippine Nurses Association of Michigan conducted an educational webinar that included a youth forum on how to best address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The panel was made up of five student leaders who shared their pandemic experiences along with their perspectives on how to effectively communicate information about the vaccines. The students suggested engaging in one-on-one dialogue and practicing active listening. One of the youth leaders also recommended using the “sandwich approach” during challenging conversations about vaccine hesitancy—a technique where negative feedback is “sandwiched” between positive sentiments to ease the blow of the critique. The forum was a lively and valuable discussion that gave attendees new ideas on how to approach difficult, pandemic-related topics.