Crisis preparedness
You never know when a crisis will hit – so it is important to always be prepared.
To achieve high population immunity against dangerous vaccine-preventable diseases, it is vital that parents trust vaccines and the authorities that provide them. Unfortunately, myths, misperceptions, crises (rightly or wrongly) associated with a vaccine, and unfounded allegations can erode trust and lead to a decrease in vaccination uptake.
For immunization programmes, ensuring public confidence in vaccines is not an ad-hoc event. It is an ongoing process of building population trust, maintaining stakeholder relations, working with the media and updating crisis communication plans.
To be able to respond to a crisis in a rapid and efficient way, health authorities need to invest in building a resilient population that is not swayed by rumours or misinformation. They also need to continuously communicate with a core group of stakeholders and to ensure efficient and smooth interaction with the media and journalists. The documents below provide guidance.
