Opinion: Why we all play a role in vaccine confidence

Immunization, the act of protecting a person against infectious disease through vaccination, remains one of the greatest public health success stories in history. But despite the well-documented benefits of vaccines, vaccine hesitancy or the refusal of vaccines regardless of their availability, is a growing public health issue that can result in global disease outbreaks. The reasons behind vaccine hesitancy are complex, but in my role at MSD where there’s a focus on improving vaccine confidence, I know that hesitancy is often connected to the 3C’s Model:

• Complacency — the perception that vaccine-preventable diseases pose little risk to individuals.

• Convenience — the degree to which vaccination services are accessible.

• Confidence — the degree to which an individual believes vaccines work, are safe and effective, and are part of a trustworthy public health and medical system.

The World Health Organization considers vaccine hesitancy as one of the top threats to global public health, and the repercussions to communities and individuals choosing not to receive recommended vaccines can be devastating. We know from decades of history that people die worldwide from vaccine-preventable diseases. One important method of addressing hesitancy is to improve vaccine confidence, and that starts with understanding the complexities and barriers to confidence in vaccines and how we can each play a role in driving change.

A history of hesitancy

Vaccine hesitancy is not a new issue. It dates back to the religious, scientific, and political objections and skepticism around the first vaccine developed in the 18th century. Since then, our industry has prioritized research, and discovered and developed new science and technology that help prevent potentially life-threatening infectious diseases. Despite the great strides made across clinical research, along with vaccine development, delivery systems, manufacturing and supply chains, we still face public criticism and hesitancy when it comes to vaccination.

This scientific innovation met with public skepticism has been especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine misinformation and disinformation have played a major role in vaccine hesitancy.  We know that misinformation about health data can impact vaccine uptake, and that the spread of this misinformation happens quickly, particularly on social media platforms. Addressing misinformation includes first understanding the misconceptions and knowledge gaps, and then presenting simple, transparent, and factual information through trusted messengers who can address the safety, effectiveness, and overall benefits of vaccines.

The role of the health care industry

Although building vaccine confidence remains a multitiered and complex issue, we have the advantage of decades of scientific data accumulated by global researchers, along with improved technology and manufacturing capabilities.

As someone who is familiar with the complexities of vaccine confidence at a leading vaccine company, I can attest that we set a high bar for our role, expectations, and ultimate contributions to public health. At MSD, we are committed to multilevel efforts that address hesitancy and build confidence at the local, national, and global levels.

One priority for our vaccine confidence efforts is collaborating with global organizations that can help build networks that establish greater public confidence in all aspects of vaccination and boost the resilience of vaccination programs around the world.

For example, we are working with the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations to build public confidence in vaccines. The focus has been on reaching the global population and engaging communities through mediums that resonate, such as social media, and through messages that can be delivered by trusted community members.

As part of our efforts to improve vaccine confidence, we build capabilities for our colleagues in local markets to better understand the strengths and vulnerabilities of vaccination programs on a global and national scale. The insights from these efforts can open the door for new collaborations and best practices that contribute to stronger vaccination ecosystems and improved public health.

It takes all of us

There are essential efforts that can make a difference, for example educating our front-line health care workers. This is evidenced by the work of respected research and educational institutions, such as the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who are creating continuing education to enable physicians to stay informed with the latest in engaging reluctant or hesitant patients within their practices.

The responsibility to build vaccine confidence does extend beyond the usual ecosystem of industry, governments, or health care institutions. Employers, community leaders, and each of us as individuals also have a role to play, especially in combating misinformation around vaccines.

Personal and individual accountability can have a huge ripple effect when it comes to vaccination. There are many ways individuals can learn more about vaccines and become an advocate, including learning more about vaccine safety and efficacy from reliable sources, for example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, universities, health institutions, or health care teams.

There are efforts such as those by the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to create free online learning modules for the general public to enable more factual and reliable communications about vaccines.

The Vaccine Confidence Project spent 10 years studying vaccine confidence and is another example of an organization working to make information about vaccines and their research on usage more readily available and easily accessible.

Combatting vaccine hesitancy is not an easy feat and has been a challenge our global society has faced for centuries. However, these challenges bring new opportunities to improve our approach and be better advocates for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

By understanding the knowledge gaps and prioritizing strategies that strengthen how we communicate and appropriately present credible vaccine information, we can potentially combat vaccine hesitancy, improve vaccine confidence, and make a difference in global public health.

For more information about MSD’s work in vaccines, visit: https://www.msd.com/research/vaccines/