Opinion: My patient doesn't 'do' vaccines

The visit started out ordinary enough: a new patient, a healthy man in his late 30s who hadn't seen a doctor in years. When we got to preventive health, I recommended the flu shot. He politely declined. "I don't do vaccines," he said. I glanced at the clock, debating whether or not I should wade into those waters. Given that we are knee-deep in flu season, the flu-shot conversation comes up at every single visit every single day, and it can be exhausting. For those who decline vaccines on principle, I've learned from experience that they are unlikely to change their minds no matter what I say.