University of Guelph history professor Catherine Carstairs co-authored an op-ed piece in the Vancouver Sun about why education works better at encouraging parents to vaccinate their children than hard school vaccination policies.

Along with UBC education historian Jason Ellis, Carstairs writes that research shows that parent education is the most effective at persuading “vaccine-hesitant” parents to protect their children.

Educating parents on the safety of vaccines and on the dangers of illnesses such as diphtheria and measles is the best approach to keeping children safe, she and Ellis write.

Carstairs is a professor of history at the University of Guelph and a public health historian. She has written extensively about Canada’s history of illegal drug use, the history of health food and the debate over water fluoridation.