Strategic Media Communication "Public Trust and Adverse Events Following Immunization"

This 21-slide presentation from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) explores communication strategies related to adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) in the context of the oral polio vaccine (OPV). Martin Dawes begins by urging immunisation practitioners to start thinking strategically about communication not when there is an AEFI or when immunisation starts but, rather, when the campaign is being planned. The purpose of communication, as Dawes explains, is to: inform and achieve better reach, advocate, and provide reliable and timely information and counter rumour.

"Handling the media should be strategic", Dawes stresses. A media strategy should: seek to inform and set the agenda, counter disinformation, and encourage immunisation. Key points in working with the media include: be as honest and transparent as possible, "remember that how you treat media today will affect their view of all immunisation", be relevant and timely, and remain polite and professional. Dawes encourages practitioners to: never let a crisis derail the strategy, take control of the story, think locally (not just nationally), and never underestimate the power of rumour. Dawes next outlines some of the advantages and limitations of using: international media, local media, and the national press.

In the context of an AEFI, specifically, Dawes suggests that handling the media will be easier if practitioners have: already established a communication cell (media professional, government and United Nations agencies - build team trust to ensure rapid and combined media response), set an overall strategy, and planned for the worst while talking up the best. Actions taken can include press interviews, press releases, press conferences, feature interviews, provision of facts/statistics and background, briefings, editorials, live television interviews, use of spokespeople, combined and supporting statements (from religious groups, national health bodies, etc.), events, pictures, etc. All statements should, according to Dawes, be "on message" (which will have been set before press engagement), provide credible and reliable information, and convey that this is not business as usual.