Preparing for the Next Pandemic

Pandemic and Vaccine Misinformation Issues

Racial Disparities in Health Messaging

It’s difficult to combat vaccine misinformation, as anti-vax and anti-science groups have strong organization and distrust of authority.

Solutions to Vaccine Misinformation

• Using mass communication toolsets in science writing aimed for the public
• Meeting the public where they are using empathy – “I know this is confusing. It is hard. I struggled with this, too.”
  • Need for public health conversations and to find common ground with the public
  • Need for new messages and messengers – mass communication strategies for health and science messages
• Early identification of public opinion – working with social media
• Debunking or pre-bunking misinformation
• GetBadNews.com and GoViralGame.com

For citizens:

• Check sourcing – link to learn more about spotting and stopping misinfo in its tracks

For journalists:

• Better communication by amplifying expert voices, establishing trusted sources, leading with facts, and not amplifying misinformation
• Empower and amplify already trusted sources to give correct messaging

For scientists and public health officials:

• Meet the public where they are – use mass communication strategies of repetition, clarity, brevity, and simplicity when communicating with the public.
  • Know your audience – background, previous knowledge, concerns
• Debunking or pre-bunking misinfo

Additional Science Communication Resources