It is often said, “If you tell me, I will forget, if you teach me, I might remember but if you involve me, I will learn.” This saying perfectly encapsulates my journey with the “Involving Young People in Vaccine Decisions” initiative. As a Level 3 T Level Healthcare student, I am accustomed to traditional classroom learning. But this project demonstrated that true understanding arises from engaging with the community, posing questions, and listening attentively.

When the group from Co-create and the Black Country ICB visited our campus, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Vaccines and immunisations seemed like significant subjects meant for medical professionals or policymakers, rather than young students such as myself. However, our opinions were regarded as important throughout the project. This made the overall experience more personal and meaningful than I expected it to be.

When it comes to a topic like vaccination, inclusion is key to building trust and meeting people’s needs.

 

Inclusion is the new prescription

We commenced by discussing in groups what we already knew about vaccines and immunisations. It was really fascinating to hear everyone’s contributions, including our diverse cultural backgrounds, familial points of view and personal stories. They touched my heart in ways I hadn’t expected. We examined who is vaccinated, why some people are reluctant, and how information about immunisations spreads among groups. This discussion demonstrated that understanding, trust, and interpersonal interactions are just as important to health as science. I realised that even though we were students, our opinions were significant and really matter.

 

The power of storytelling in healthcare

The next step involved taking what we had discovered outside of our classroom. We created our own questions and conducted interviews with people in our neighbourhoods, at school, and at home. This proved to be one of the project’s most illuminating elements. I received a wide range of input from incredible people, each of whom was unique in their personal experiences.

Some people said they were very confident in vaccines and thought they were essential for protecting their loved ones. Others cited conflicting messages or cultural norms as reasons for their reluctance. Overall, I observed that many individuals were ignorant about what vaccines are and what they do, and that there was a great need for  more education. My understanding of why health efforts often fail has improved as a result of these conversations. The reason for this is that they frequently fail to take into account people’s actual anxieties or experiences.

 

Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes

The insights I gathered from the interviews helped me see that inclusion is essential for providing healthcare services. It contributes to building trust and comfort between patients and healthcare professionals. Ultimately, our interactions with patients should resemble a collaborative endeavour rather than a mere obligation to provide health care.

I clearly recall one of the interview subjects switching roles and interviewing me. An interview is reciprocal, so she can ask questions as well, she said. When she asked what I knew about “empathy,” I told her that it is the ability to embody your compassionate self. She agreed and said that empathy, in her opinion, is the capacity to put oneself in another person’s position and experience their life from their perspective. All of a sudden, it became clear. We must see things from other people’s perspectives to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding, and there is no better way to do so than to interact with others and listen to their personal narratives. After all, “a month’s study of books is worth a single conversation across the table with a wise person.”

 

What I learnt about health and myself

Growing up I envisioned myself as an adult nurse, diligently working every day to elevate the lives of those in need. I always presumed that healthcare spun around science, exploring biological processes or chemical components. While this has always fascinated me, I never foresaw that it could involve going door to door for information exchange. This engagement could change lives. I was astounded to realise how powerful the voices of young people could be. We may not have prestigious positions, degrees, or a wealth of experience – but we often have an immense understanding of our families, communities, and peers. Our comprehension is deep and clear enough to have an impact.

 

Future projects

If allowed to design the next stage of this project, I would focus on creating further safe spaces for everyone to voice their needs. I would also love to see more young people collaborating with healthcare professionals, because together we can make it work. After all, teamwork makes the dream work.

Healthcare should never be a one-way conversation, it’s a partnership that needs every voice, whether young, old, expert, or curious. In a nutshell, not only did I learn a lot about vaccines, but I also learned about the power of involvement, and this is an important lesson I will carry wherever I go and wherever my career takes me.