Vaccine safety communication

To develop vaccine safety communication plans at country level to promote awareness of vaccine risks and benefits, understand perceptions of risk, and prepare for managing any adverse events and concerns about vaccine safety promptly

Communicating about vaccine safety is always important. It is essential in at least three situations, namely:
  • explaining properly the benefits and risks of a recommended vaccine;
  • addressing public concerns and upcoming or persistent rumours about vaccine safety;
  • preparing to address vaccine safety crises if and when they occur.

Effective communication is an ongoing process that involves all stakeholders. The communication strategy of the Pharmacovigilance team promotes the development and strengthening of continuing communication about important vaccine safety issues (whether local or international) between local communities, health-care workers and decision-makers.

Vaccine safety crises are rare and most are not related to problems with vaccine products. However, unfounded or not, such crises have the potential to disrupt immunization activities, and thereby affect public health. Our Team's strategy aims to strengthen national abilities to address public concerns about vaccine safety in a clear, factual and timely manner.

Workshop: Value of social media and other online listening posts in Pharmacovigilance

A hybrid meeting was planned in Geneva, on the margins of the UMC Board meeting in September 2023, to consider expanding the use of various social media and other online sources of information used during the pandemic and discuss if and how these sources could complement routine pharmacovigilance work and serve as platforms for optimizing safety communication.

The meeting report as well as the questions of the participants in the chat box are available.

Q&A's

Vaccines and immunization: Thiomersal

A social media intervention for communicating vaccine safety in low- and middle-income countries: protocol for a pilot study

Vaccine safety is a concern that continues to drive hesitancy and refusal in populations in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). Communicating about vaccine safety is a strategy that can successfully change personal and community perceptions and behaviors toward vaccination. The COVID-19 infodemic emergency with the rapid rollout of new vaccines and new technology, demonstrated the need for good and effective vaccine safety communication. The Vaccine Safety Net (VSN), a WHO-led global network of websites that provide reliable information on vaccine safety offers the ideal environment for gathering web and social media analytics for measuring impact of vaccine safety messages. Its members work with a wide range of populations, in different geographic locations and at many levels including national, regional, and local. We propose to undertake a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of implementing COVID-19 vaccine safety communications with VSN members working in LMICs and to assess the impact of communications on public knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions. Full article

Resources