The questions we ask

True or false: “When you are young, vaccines don’t really matter.” Or how about this one: “Trusting healthcare professionals is as easy as rolling up your sleeve for a tiny jab.”

At first, it’s easy to think both questions contain some truth. When you’re young, it can feel like you don’t need vaccinations. But that belief often connects to the second question: trust. Rolling up your sleeve seems simple enough, but do you really feel safe and informed enough to do it? In this sense, trust can feel like ticking a box and taking a leap of faith.

 

Knowledge vs truth

As part of the Black Country ICB vaccination project I interviewed young people aged 16–19, asking them four questions about vaccines. They all knew about vaccines and understood their benefits. I realised that the issue wasn’t ignorance, it was a sense of distrust in healthcare professionals. Sometimes this even led them to seek medical advice from apps such as TikTok and YouTube.

The NHS should be the default place for reliable health information. However, it doesn’t feel that way to young people – and that poses a major challenge, especially as misinformation is so prevalent.

 

Trust is not automatic

Trust in healthcare is not automatic. Wearing a white coat and having medical training isn’t enough to guarantee the person you’re speaking to feels understood, heard, or even respected.

I keep thinking about a simple contrast. In one scenario, a doctor walks into a room, lists off words and instructions from a screen without looking up or asking questions, and then leaves. In another, a doctor (in the same room and the same seat) shows real concern, asks how you’re feeling and listens – I mean really listens – and then explains in simple terms with the patience of a saint. Same seat, same white coat, same medical knowledge – but a completely different impact.

Who would you feel safe putting your health in their hands? That difference is what turns a nervous decision into a leap you’re willing to take.

 

Communication matters

From my research, I’ve come to realise that people don’t doubt the science behind vaccines – but they’re scared information about vaccines has been made to look appealing and pretty – almost sugar-coated. And when health-based information appears sugarcoated, it can feel less like honesty and more like a performance.

In simple terms, the issue isn’t the science, but how the information is communicated. You can’t take a leap when the ground beneath you doesn’t feel solid. Facts and statistics are crucial, but without empathy and patience they lose their power.

So, moral of the story: you can throw facts and statistics at people, but they won’t necessarily build trust if it’s not tailored for people to understand and appreciate. Real trust doesn’t come from PowerPoint slides or charts – it comes from meaningful conversations.

 

Young people care about trust

It’s easy to say “young people don’t care about their health”, but that is so wrong. Every day they’re on their phones scrolling through health advice, watching stories of people’s health experiences and having debates in comment sections.

The real question is: who do they trust enough to take advice from? And too often, it isn’t healthcare professionals – it’s voices that seem more honest and relatable. That isn’t to say health professionals aren’t competent, because they are – but the way information is shared might feel rushed, cold, or too formal. A rushed explanation can sound dismissive and lecture like. A simple, patient explanation can feel like care. That’s the difference.

 

Questions to ask yourself

So why do young people trust TikTok over the NHS? How can healthcare professionals win the trust of young people without losing accuracy?

 

Conclusion

For young people, the how matters just as much as the what. Facts alone don’t build confidence – meaningful connection does. It’s not enough to know the science if the person sharing it doesn’t make you feel safe.

That’s the real challenge of vaccinations today: not convincing people vaccines are important,  but proving that healthcare can be honest, respectful, and trustworthy. The jab itself takes seconds – but the decision to roll up your sleeves takes so much more. If healthcare professionals combine knowledge with genuine care, empathy and patience, young people will feel safer and more informed.

In the end, vaccination may protect our bodies, but trust protects our choices. Without trust and communication, the smallest jab can feel like the biggest risk.

Public health isn’t just about statistics and facts – it’s about people’s feelings and relationships. That is what this project taught me: science protects health, but trust moves people to action. Sometimes, the bravest leap isn’t into the unknown, but into someone else’s care.