Vaccine Safety Events: Managing the Communications Response

"The ease with which information can be disseminated now means that negative comments about vaccines can go 'viral' on the internet without balanced professional input. As a result, the media have found rich pickings in vaccine safety issues. While many professionals working in the field of immunization have often felt the media to be 'public enemy number one', we believe this guide will enable the new environment to be viewed as a tremendous opportunity to get the good news out to the world about the benefits of vaccines, and also to help build mutually beneficial partnerships with the media."

From the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, this guide provides practical strategies and tools to support Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) personnel and others in their efforts to design and implement effective communication planning and management in response to vaccine-related events (VRE). The contamination of polio vaccine with the SV40 virus is an early example of a crisis in vaccine safety. "The belief that vaccines are either 'completely safe' or 'totally dangerous' has resulted in a polarization of opinion which is unhelpful and inaccurate at best, and highly divisive at worst. Emotionally charged debates arise which, although originating as a local issue, can quickly spill over to neighbouring countries, and from there to the rest of the world."

Following a preface and list of abbreviations and acronyms, contents include:

1. "Introduction
2. The environment
3. What is a vaccine-related event (VRE)?
4. To communicate or not?
5. Media communications planning
6. Developing the message
7. Selecting the medium
8. Sending the message - media skills
9. Handling a crisis
10. Building partnerships
11. Dealing with rumours
12. Challenges of special immunization events

Annexes

• Annex 1: Possible responses to a VRE
• Annex 2: Communications plan template
• Annex 3: Press release
• Annex 4: Timeline for communication actions
• Annex 5: Best communication practices
• Annex 6: Functions that should be carried out when an AEFI [adverse effect following immunisation] is reported
• Annex 7: Background rates for AEFIs
• Annex 8: Evaluate how you are doing
• Annex 9: Five concepts to make your communications more effective
• Annex 10: Seventy-five questions they always ask
• Annex 11: Some strategies used by reporters during press interviews
• Annex 12: Additional resources"