Online Program

Oral

Although the practice of vaccination is not new in the United States, there has been a resurgence of communication about the topic in the past few years. Increasingly, the rhetoric around vaccination as a personal choice is at odds with the notion of vaccination as a public good; caught in the middle are every day Americans who must make decisions about vaccination for themselves and their families. In this panel, speakers from a variety of disciplines will address how patients, providers, politicians, and others in our country discuss and debate the merits of vaccination, both at a personal and a public level. Specifically, speakers will address how providers can communicate with their vaccine hesitant patients, how the science communication environment around vaccination is key to educating the public on the merits of this public health behavior, how online and social media-based communication about vaccination can and does play a large role in vaccine-related attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, and the role of the legal system in communicating about vaccine law, policy, and enforcement. The panel will conclude with the opportunity for the speakers to address each other’s work as well as the opportunity for session attendees to ask questions of the speakers.

Session Objectives: Explain current trends in our country regarding communication about vaccination from interpersonal, organizational, political, legal and media perspectives Identify how different communication strategies – including both positive pro-vaccination messages and negative anti-vaccination messages - can affect attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to vaccination, including the spectrum of vaccine hesitancy and vaccine acceptance among the public Discuss the need for evidence-based practices of risk communication about vaccination in our country by healthcare providers, policy makers, and the media Identify the role of the legal and political system in creating, educating, and enforcing vaccine policy in our country