Abstract
The avalanche of online information on immunization is having a major impact on the percentage of the population who choose to get vaccinated. Vaccine misinformation spreads widely with the interactive Web 2.0 and social media; this can bury science-based information. A plethora of immunization misinformation online is affecting trust in health care professionals and in public immunization programs. There are no simple solutions to this, but seven evidence-based strategies can help. First, listen to patients' and parents' concerns, and demonstrate responsiveness by adopting best immunization practices, such as pain mitigation. Second, recognize and alert others to anti-immunization tactics, namely, conspiracy theories, fake experts, selectivity, demands that vaccines be 100% safe and effective, misrepresentation and false logic. Third, avoid unproductive debates with those who have strongly held views, both in person and when using social media. Be respectful, stick to your key message, identify where to find useful information and exit. Fourth, consider establishing an attractive, easily searchable online presence that reflects the complex art of persuasion. Emphasize the benefits of vaccine, use reader-friendly graphics and highlight facts with stories to strengthen your case. Fifth, work with social media platform providers, not to stifle freedom of expression, but to help ensure that misinformation is not favoured in searches. Sixth, promote curriculum development in the schools to improve students' understanding of the benefits and safety of immunization and to foster critical thinking skills. To do this, optimize the use of age-appropriate comics and interactive learning tools such as electronic games. Seventh, to shift the narrative in specific communities with low vaccination rates, work with community leaders to build tailored programs that foster trust and reflect local values.
Highlights
The decision by individuals and parents to accept a vaccine is influenced by many factors
In Canada, as in other countries around the globe, the online immunization information avalanche is having a major impact on uptake
In the early digital age, public health information available online was static “read only” materials; with Web 2.0, online information has evolved into multidirectional, user-generated communication characterized by participation, collaboration and openness
Summary
The decision by individuals and parents to accept a vaccine is influenced by many factors. Much online information is opinion or speculation as well as dramatic, often untrue but oft-repeated stories about adverse events presented as “alternative facts.” Such vaccine misinformation can spread widely on social media [3], burying science-based information. Trolling for and subsequently online bullying of evidence-based vaccine experts by those with polarized opposite views, is an increasingly recognized problem [11,12] To address these challenges, “immunization resiliency” needs to be promoted. Immunization resiliency in this context means ensuring that vaccination programs are adapted to the current digital communication environment in order to grow public trust in health care providers and optimize vaccine acceptance over time. We highlight seven key strategies that are based on reviews of psychological research on persuasion, myth debunking, science denialism, communication science and research on impact of social media
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