Grandparents for Vaccines as Science Communicators

My grandson Sam is almost one year old. He’s my first grandchild and I’ve loved watching him grow. Fortunately, I have not had to watch him suffer from vaccine-preventable diseases, because my daughter and son-in-law make sure he has all his vaccinations. 

Being a grandfather motivated me to become the Michigan representative for the group Grandparents for Vaccines. We collect stories from people who have lived during a time when vaccines were not common. Many of us know first-hand the value of vaccination.

Grandparents for Vaccines as Trustworthy Sources of Information

We live in a time when public trust in science is declining (https://www.associationofsciencecommunicators.org/2025/global-trust-in-scientists/). This is particularly true for public health, especially since the covid pandemic. Grandparents for Vaccines takes advantage of one group that is still widely trusted: grandparents. We grandparents share many traits: unconditional love for our grandchildren, decades of lived experience, familiarity with overcoming setbacks and suffering loss, and an understanding of how to serve as an intergenerational bridge. We are often viewed as trusted mentors. A traditional responsibility of grandparents is to pass down hard-won wisdom and offer trustworthy advice.

When I speak of grandparents, I don’t mean to focus exclusively on a position in a family tree, but rather on a role played in society. Patriarchs, matriarchs, sages, and tribal elders have important stories to tell, whether or not they have grandchildren of their own. Grandparents for Vaccines seeks to represent them all.

Grandparents for Vaccines as Storytellers

In addition to being a grandpa, I’m also a scientist. I’m corfortable with data and experiments. I know these are essential tools in science, but often facts are not the best way to communicate science with the public. An alternative is telling stories. Alan Alda (Hawkeye from M*A*S*H, who established the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stoney Brook University, https://www.aldacenter.org/) is a leader in science communication. In his book If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533869/if-i-understood-you-would-i-have-this-look-on-my-face-by-alan-alda/) Alda writes “If we’re looking for a way to bring emotion to someone, a story is the perfect vehicle. We can’t resist stories. We crave them.” In an essay about “The Science of Storytelling,” (https://www.associationofsciencecommunicators.org/2025/the-science-of-storytelling) science writer Yiannis Mastoras says that “stories are the brain’s native language.”

The primary goal of Grandparents for Vaccines is to share stories. Let me give you an example. In the video below, Tom from Minnesota shares his tale of having polio as a child. He vividly describes the polio ward and recalls wearing heavy braces on his legs. To this day, he suffers from the damage done by this deadly disease.

Tom and others who have filmed videos for Grandparents for Vaccines are not actors, and often they have never made a video before. They make up for their inexperience with sincerity and candor. Sharing such a story has value not just for the listener, but also for the storyteller— instilling a sense of purpose and meaning to their life—and for society as a whole.

No matter how valuable storytelling is, science communication cannot be based on individual stories alone. Those interested in vaccines should also seek out science communicators who have the expertise to translate scientific research into plain language. Three I find particularly valuable are Katelyn Jetelina (Your Local Epidemiologist, https://www.yourlocalepidemiologist.co/) , Kristen Panthagani (You Can Know Things, https://www.youcanknowthings.com/), and Jess Steier (Unbiased Science, https://www.unbiasedscience.com/). 

Grandparents for Vaccines as Oral Historians

The stories collected by Grandparents for Vaccines are a form of oral history. While individual anecdotes may not capture the big picture of what is happening in society, they are powerful tools for correcting, confirming, and adding to the historical record. Oral histories are important for preserving the stories of such diverse people as World War II veterans, speakers of languages that are going extinct, and survivors of the Holocaust. Individual stories give meaning and context to history. They represent the difference between living memories and textbook information. These stories will be lost if not collected soon. Many vaccines were introduced in the 1950s and 60s. Most who grew up in that era are already retired, and in a few decades they will no longer be with us to tell their tale.

I say “oral” history but Grandparents for Vaccines collects videos, not just voice recordings. Visual images are often crucial in scientic communication. (https://www.associationofsciencecommunicators.org/2026/visuals/) The sincerity of the storyteller can often be gauged by the look in their eye. In one riveting example, Andy from Minnesota illustrates the danger of meningitis by the image of his amputated hands.

Stories collected by Grandparents for Vaccines can illustrate personal family history. The videos will be treasured by future generations, who can learn about the lives of their ancestors. In our videos, the storytellers often share photographs of family members, some who have died because of childhood diseases. In the next video, Bonnie from Illinois shares photos of her grandchildren while she speaks of her experience with the measles.

Grandparents for Vaccines as Citizen Scientists

Citizen science sometimes involves nonscientists helping to collect quantitative data, for instance by recording the habitat of some plant or animal species. But another sort of citizen science is recording narratives for use in qualitative research. First hand experiences are not always captured in public health statistics, and can only be gleamed from examining people’s lives.

Grandparents for Vaccines provides a way for ordinary people to participate in the grand scientific enterprise. Sometimes their story sheds light on events important in the history of science. For instance, the video below was filmed in front of Franklin Sherman Elementary School, the first school to test Salk’s polio vaccine in 1954.

Not only do these videos contribute to our understanding of how science is done, but they encourage interactions between scientists and the public, thereby increasing our collective understanding of and trust in science. Such bridges between scientists and nonscientists are crucial for society. (https://www.associationofsciencecommunicators.org/2025/your-neighborhood-scientist/). Indeed, as we approach the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States, it is fitting to remember that science played a central role in the development of our democracy (https://www.amphilsoc.org/americas-scientific-revolutionaries). In our world today, we urgently need more engagement of scientists with society.

Grandparents for Vaccines as Vaccine Advocates

As a non-profit organization, Grandparents for Vaccines does not play an active role in politics. We don’t endorse candidates or promote political parties. We aim to be nonpartisan. But the stories we collect can educate our leaders about policies and legislation. Our videos frequently highlight the benefits of vaccination, and could be a valuable tool for those promoting public health. All our videos are posted on YouTube and can therefore be shared widely, and can be displayed as embedded links in online articles like this one. 

Often after telling their story, grandparents end their video with a call to action, advocating for vaccination. In the last video I will share, Dee Dee from Colorado makes an impassioned plea for people to vaccinate their children.

I can’t wait to see my grandson Sam take his first steps and say his first words. I know that the stories Grandparents for Vaccines collect benefit not only Sam but his entire generation. That’s why I spend my time volunteering for them. If you want to support your grandchildren and their friends and classmates, consider joining Grandparents for Vaccines (grandparentsforvaccines.org). And if you have a tale to tell, make a video and send it to us. Sam and his friends need your story too.