A new study conducted by a multidisciplinary team at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (Katz), including Brian Tuohy, PhD, Assistant Professor, Urban Health and Population Science and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Health Justice and Bioethics (CHJB), Joshua Somers (MD/MHJB Class of 2025, and Temple University Hospital pediatricians Brittany Hansen, DO, and Julia Burger, MD, explores how parents in North Philadelphia make decisions about infant RSV immunizations.
The Study
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common viral infection that can cause severe illness in infants and leads to large numbers of pediatric hospitalizations each year. Until recently, protection was limited to Synagis, a monthly injection reserved for children at the highest risk. In 2023, however, a new immunization—Beyfortus (nirsevimab)—became available as a single dose for any baby under eight months old whose mother had not received the RSV vaccine during pregnancy.
The rapid uptake of Beyfortus among families at Temple University Hospital prompted the team to investigate how parents were making these decisions and how RSV immunization fit within their broader experiences with COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. Together, Dr. Tuohy and Somers designed and carried out the qualitative study, while Drs. Hansen and Burger drew on their patient relationships to connect with participating families. Over the course of the year, the team worked collaboratively from conception through completion, combining pediatric expertise, sociological methods, and student leadership.
The Process
When Drs. Hansen and Burger reached out to the CHJB about a potential research collaboration, Dr. Tuohy thought of Somers, as they had just discussed his desire to be a pediatrician, and decided to pursue this project.
Tuohy explained that Temple’s connection as a university and health system allows for cross collaboration like this – doctors wanting to do a project with their patient population then connecting with CHJB which has research capacity, such as Dr. Tuohy’s qualitative methodology expertise, and curious, motivated students like Somers.
Throughout Somers’ fourth year, he got a lot of the groundwork done for this project finding all the literature that exists around RSV. Then, as a group of four, they created an interview guide, which Somers used to make phone calls, talk with patients, and write the data for his thesis.
“The skills to be a good doctor are very similar to being a good interviewer,” said Dr. Tuohy. “This might sound obvious, but it is someone that is an attentive listener, that cares about the answer and wants to understand your experience, and Josh is very good at that.”
As Somers analyzed the data, he worked with Drs. Tuohy, Hansen and Burger to write a draft that was submitted and, after revisions, accepted to a good journal.
Somers mentioned that Dr. Tuohy was instrumental in guiding him through this work, by bouncing ideas around, ensuring that the process was done correctly, going through the review and making edits for the final published version.
The Results
Interviews with 25 parents and caregivers revealed that parental decision-making was shaped more by lived experience and trust in healthcare providers than by politics or social media. Key themes included: the influence of personal and family experiences, the influence of personal and family experiences, high levels of trust in healthcare professionals, limited impact of online or political discourse, and challenges in vaccine messaging related to safety and efficacy.
When asked about their decisions: 36% chose RSV immunization to protect their newborn ,40% cited personal experiences with RSV or perceived vulnerability, 16% were influenced primarily by their pediatrician’s recommendation,,12% reported social media or political factors played a role; and 68% expressed complete confidence in medical professionals, though 28% noted occasional doubts.
In a community long shaped by health inequities, the study underscores the importance of listening to families lived experiences, ensuring that public health messaging is clear and trustworthy, and understanding vaccine decision-making as both a medical and a justice issue. For the team, the project also reflects the power of collaborative research—bringing together pediatric care, social science, and student scholarship to generate insights that matter for infant health and health equity.
The Effect
Collaborative work such as this is what makes the CHJB program so unique among medical programs. Dr. Tuohy mentioned that many medical schools do not put a large focus on health equity and social determinants of health, and the CHJB program allows students to invest more time, energy, and knowledge into this area of study.
“I think the program does a good job in making sure that our thesis projects align well with our intended fields, interests, career interests, and things down the road,” Somers said. “It’s not just something that checks off a box for a requirement but makes it something that can be used not just in the moment but as you go forward in your career.”
The full study is available in BMC Pediatrics.