The Singapore Family Physician
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Vol 51 No. 6 - COVID-19 and Respiratory Virus Vaccination Strategies for Family Physicians, 2025 Update
Confidence Through Connection: Supporting Confident Vaccine Choices in Primary Care
The Singapore Family Physician
Vol 51
No 6
- COVID-19 and Respiratory Virus Vaccination Strategies for Family Physicians, 2025 Update
17 October 2025
0377-5305
Adult vaccine hesitancy presents a formidable barrier to addressing the escalating burden of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) in an ageing population. Conveying the clinical urgency for adult immunisation to vulnerable populations often collides with a complex landscape of patient doubt, misinformation, and low-risk perception. Overcoming this challenge requires a fundamental shift from simple information provision to a relational, patient-centred approach designed to build trust and foster confidence. Clinicians may utilise a structured framework to examine the psychological drivers of hesitancy through the 5C model (Confidence, Complacency, Convenience, Calculation, Collective Responsibility). By using evidence-based communication strategies, including the presumptive recommendation, Motivational Interviewing (MI), the SHARE model for shared decision-making, and the Empathetic Refutational Interview for addressing misinformation. By integrating these techniques, we would be able to transform challenging vaccine discussions into opportunities to strengthen the patient-provider relationship and support confident, informed health decisions.