Dr. Siobhan Dunnavant
As a board-certified OB-GYN with more than 25 years of experience, I’ve seen the best health decisions made where medical evidence meets family values—and where parents decide in partnership with their own clinicians. Nowhere is that more important than when we talk about protecting newborns from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Respiratory viruses pose a real threat to infants, particularly in the first months of life. Newborns face higher risks of severe illness and hospitalization, and RSV remains a leading cause of infant admissions each year. Maternal vaccination — given during pregnancy so protective antibodies can be passed from mother to baby — offers an important layer of protection during a child’s most vulnerable period.
That’s why, in my own practice, I advise many patients to consider maternal RSV vaccination. It can significantly reduce the likelihood that a newborn will struggle to breathe in an emergency department or require hospitalization. But this decision is never one-size-fits-all. Timing, medical history, seasonality and individual risk factors all matter. The right choice should always be made by parents in consultation with their own healthcare provider.
Parents want that choice. Recent polling released by American Advancement shows that more than 80% of Republicans and key swing-state voters believe government health agencies should not restrict access to safe, effective vaccines. When it comes to their child’s health, parents overwhelmingly trust their own doctors most. Physicians remain the most trusted voices. Parents want information — not mandates.
Through my work with Advocates for Healthy Kids, I help provide parents with clear, trustworthy information so they can make empowered, informed decisions for their families. This includes guidance on choosing a provider you trust, understanding your rights as a health care decision-maker for your child, and navigating vaccine conversations with confidence. In a media environment filled with noise and polarization around children’s health, families deserve reliable, patient-focused information grounded in evidence — not politics.
In medicine, roles are clearly defined. Patients and parents are the decision-makers. Clinicians are trained experts who listen, diagnose, teach and advise. There is no role for politicians in the exam room.
The Patient’s Bill of Rights exists to help families understand the authority they hold in medical decision-making. Parents have:
The Right to Refuse Care: You have the legal and ethical right to decline any treatment, test or procedure offered to your child, as long as refusal does not place them in immediate, life-threatening danger.
The Right to Privacy: Your child’s medical information is protected under HIPAA. You control who can access those records and have the right to ask questions, request corrections and understand how information is used.
The Right to Equal Respect: Regardless of your values or beliefs, you are entitled to respectful, non-coercive care. You have the right to ask questions, take time to decide, and be treated with dignity.
The Right to Know Your Options: Your provider should explain all medically appropriate options, including benefits, risks and alternatives. Informed consent means receiving the full picture — not just a single recommendation.
The Right to Choose What’s Best: Ultimately, parents decide what is right for their child. Providers advise; they do not coerce. As long as a child is not in immediate danger, that choice belongs to the family.
Medical settings can feel overwhelming, but parents are not powerless. You are your child’s first and most important advocate. When you understand your rights, you are better equipped to ask questions, seek clarity and make confident decisions.
When parents and clinicians work together — guided by evidence, compassion and trust — we protect newborns, strengthen families and preserve the integrity of medical care. That is the standard every family deserves
Dr. Siobhan Stolle Dunnavant of Gloucester is a board-certified OB-GYN with more than 25 years of experience caring for women and delivering babies in Virginia. A mother of four and a former state senator, she serves as a spokesperson for Advocates for Healthy Kids, where she helps parents navigate evidence-based decisions on maternal and pediatric health, including RSV prevention.
Read Dr. Dunnavant’s column directly on the Virginian-Pilot.