Improving Communications Among Health Workers and Public Health Authorities to Increase Community Acceptance and Manage Demand for COVID-19 Vaccination

Abstract for Preformed Panel Presentation from the 2022 International SBCC Summit in Morocco:

"Timely and transparent communications from authorities and strong interpersonal communication skills among health workers (HWs) are the foundation for good risk communications during emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Authorities and HWs struggle with communicating with the public as new vaccines and policies are introduced, vaccine supply is irregular, insufficient, or inequitably distributed, and vaccine preferences emerge.The Global Demand Hub convened two working groups to develop resources to help fill gaps in COVID-19 vaccine demand. In December 2020, a training module was developed for HWs to increase COVID-19 vaccine knowledge and confidence. Considering the ever-changing pandemic, a guide on managing demand was developed for national and subnational stakeholders and health workers in September 2021.The first resource, Communication with the community about COVID-19 vaccination, is one of six modules in the HW training series available on the web-based OpenWHO platform. The second resource, How to manage demand and communicate on COVID-19 vaccines in a changing environment, is intended for those involved in the design and delivery of demand strategies on COVID-19 vaccination. Public health authorities and HWs around the globe participated in the online training, and communication committees are using the resources for nationwide COVID-19 vaccination roll-out. Guidance must be continuously adapted and accessible to public health professionals and HWs to foster effective communication, instill confidence, and manage demand for COVID-19 vaccines. Expansion of platforms that require low bandwidth/connectivity is essential to reach the most remote end-users of these resources."