UNDERSTANDING THE

CLIMATE FOR

COMMUNICATION ON

VACCINES

AND ADVERSE

EVENTS Vaccines and Biologicals, 1999

If we have no fear of vaccines, but have fear of disease, we vaccinate our children

If we have no fear of vaccines, but no fear disease either, there is inertia

But if we have no fear of disease, but fear of vaccines, we refuse immunization

Source: LW Sullivan, President Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia US. At US National Immunization Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, July 1998

http://www.sciencesetavenir.com/tempsfort/page7.html

Sciences et Avenir, November 2001

Target diseases disappearing Difficult to prepare for crises New communications: television and Internet Bad news more exciting than good news Very technical subject with difficult concepts

to explain

A communications challenge

Risk when disease is virtually absent

Risk during an epidemic

Concepts difficult even for professionals e.g. “temporal” vs.“causal” association, “relative risk”, “risk assessment”

A communicationschallenge

Parents seek litigation Is the service for the benefit of individual or society? Compulsory or opt-out? Mass campaigns vs. right to choose Compensation

Legal aspects

ADVERSE EVENTS

Anti-vaccine lobby reduced coverage with pertussis vaccine

Does it matter?

0

100

200

300

400

500

I

1940 1950 1970 1980 1990

Vaccine uptake

DTP introduced

81%

31%

93%

Cas

es p

er 1

0000

0

Year

Active AVM

Source: Gangarosa. Lancet 351, 1998

1960

INCIDENCE OF PERTUSSIS IN COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY ACTIVE ANTI-VACCINE MOVEMENTS (United Kingdom)

Anti-vaccine lobby reduced coverage with pertussis vaccine

Number of cases and deaths rose for some years afterwards

Does it matter?

Anti-vaccine lobby reduced coverage with pertussis vaccine

Number of cases and deaths rose for some years afterwards

Conclusion: anti-vaccine propaganda hurts the programme and the kids

Does it matter?

Increased patients rights to choice Increased demand for transparency Modern communications Scientifically complex information Decreased prevalence of vaccine-preventable diseases Imagination in communication And it often leads to a crisis……….

In summary….

COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING

WHY A COMMUNICATION PLAN? Public concern on health issues is high Crisis is common Complex messages Low budgets

A COMMUNICATION PLAN…

allows you to be proactive rather than reactive

allows you to focus on the programme’s goal and develop strategic linkages with key partners

A COMMUNICATION PLAN…

Is designed to– correct a negative situation– achieve a well-defined objective– maintain an existing situation

COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING Involve partners in the planning process

WHO ARE MY PARTNERS? (1)

Other ministries or units within the MOH International organizations e.g. WHO,

UNICEF, UNDP NGOs such as rotary, save the children, etc Bilateral government bodies, e.g. USAID,

NORAD... Foundations Voluntary organizations Schools and universities

WHO ARE MY PARTNERS? (2)

Specialists e.g. virologists Advertising agencies Market research agencies Government radio/TV The media Communities Etc…………………………..

PROVIDE BACKGROUND– define the problem or opportunity

– examine the strengths, weaknesses of opportunities and threats to your programme

– gather information on what happened in the past, what is currently happening, and what is expected to happen

STATE THE GOAL

a big picture statement about what you want to achieve

THE GOAL SHOULD BE DEVELOPED TO…

– inform – persuade– motivate or – achieve mutual understanding

IDENTIFY OBJECTIVES

should be focused and measurable What do you do you hope to accomplish?

EXAMPLES OF OBJECTIVES

to increase awareness of childhood immunization

to ensure messages are consistently delivered in a timely and accurate manner

DEFINE TARGET AUDIENCES The people most affected by or most influential in accepting an idea, programme, or

event Target audiences

– internal– employees, boards– external– media, community, partners, government, families

CHOOSE MESSAGES What do you want the audience to hear and

retain?

DEVELOP STRATEGIES A plan of action that describes what tools

will be used to reach the audience Tools and Tactics

– press releases, fact sheets, brochures, advertising, posters, displays, web site

COORDINATE TIMEFRAME

develop a timetable that shows the start and completion of each strategy

ESTABLISH BUDGET

How much will it cost to implement all of the strategies?

EVALUATION

results and outcomes against objectives