Vaccination stock photos get a makeover

ONE OF THE NEW STOCK VACCINATION IMAGES AVAILABLE FROM THE AAP AND SELF. (HEATHER HAZZAN, SELF MAGAZINE)

The American Academy of Pediatrics and Self magazine teamed up to create new stock photos of people getting vaccinations. Why? Because many of the current options, with their shiny needles and grimacing children, incite fear and contribute to vaccine hesitancy, they say. Many of the photos are also medically inaccurate, since they often feature syringes that aren’t actually used for vaccinations. “[W]e want [parents] to have access to accurate information and depictions of immunizations,” AAP President Dr. Kyle Yasuda said in a statement. The new images are medically accurate, and feature a diverse group of people, including friendly — and real — physicians and smiling patients. Self held the photo shoot, and AAP pediatricians served as consultants. The photos are available for free to anyone who wishes to use them.