Crisis communication related to vaccine safety: technical guidance - English version (2023)

Course Introduction
Vaccine- and vaccination-related crises require a communication response that is different from the communication strategies used to promote the benefits and importance of vaccines in general. This course will provide the technical guidelines needed to develop a communication plan that is appropriate for managing crises related to vaccine and vaccination safety. These guidelines will be useful for managers in the areas of immunization and vaccine and vaccination safety. They will also be useful for the previously mentioned safety crises preparedness and response teams to optimize the development of communication plans that help regain, maintain, or strengthen trust in vaccines, vaccination, and immunization programs in general. Each module presents a phase (preparation, implementation, and evaluation) with suggested actions and support tools to prepare, implement, and evaluate a communication response in a crisis situation.

Aim of the Course
To describe technical guidelines that will provide the professional with the theory and steps needed to develop a communication plan that is appropriate for managing crises related to vaccine and vaccination safety.

Learning Objectives
Identify a crisis related to vaccine and vaccination safety.
Recognize the different stages of approaching a crisis to develop an appropriate communication strategy.

Target Audience
This course is aimed at:

• Health managers and professionals that work in health ministries and in extended immunization programs that are responsible for providing a communication response during a crisis related to vaccine and vaccination safety.
• People that work in health ministries or extended immunization programs in the region.

Duration
An estimated 2 hours are required to complete the course.

Modality
This is an open course and it is available in PAHO’s/WHO’s Virtual Campus for Public Health (VCPH). Being a self-learning course, participants can set and regulate their own pace. It takes approximately 30 minutes per module, depending on the participant’s knowledge of the ESAVI. That is why, considering the estimated time to complete the course modules and their respective evaluations, the course is assigned a total of 2 hours.

Structure

• Introductory clip
• Module 1: Preparation phase
• Module 2: Implementation phase: How to respond to a crisis
• Module 3: Evaluation phase: How to evaluate a response to a crisis Module 4: Crisis communication
• Module 4: Crisis communication