Vaccine awareness has long been a cornerstone of public health challenges, but the digital era introduces unprecedented opportunities. Faced with rising misinformation and mistrust of institutions, communication agencies must innovate to build sustainable trust. By leveraging digital tools, accurate data, and authentic storytelling, these agencies can reshape public perception of vaccines and save lives. This article explores how communication agencies can combine innovative strategies with digital technologies to transform vaccine perception in a misinformation-driven environment.

Vaccine awareness: a challenging landscape

Vaccine awareness faces a unique set of complex, interconnected challenges. The spread of fake news is a significant threat, amplified by social media algorithms favoring sensationalist content.

“Misinformation about vaccines is a major global health threat that could undermine decades of progress in combating preventable diseases.”
— Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO

According to a 2022 WHO study, 59% of health misinformation concerns vaccines, eroding trust among vulnerable populations. Compounding this issue, institutional mistrust remains widespread. Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer revealed that only 34% of individuals globally trust governments to deliver reliable vaccine information. Past healthcare scandals and a lack of transparency exacerbate this mistrust. Cultural and linguistic barriers further complicate outreach. Standardized campaigns often fail to address the unique needs of local communities. For instance, messages crafted in official languages may not reach rural populations or marginalized groups who primarily communicate in regional dialects. In this context, a global yet localized approach is crucial to rebuilding vaccine trust.

The digital revolution: an unprecedented opportunity

Digital transformation offers communication agencies powerful tools to create targeted, personalized, and impactful campaigns. The focus has shifted from merely informing to directly engaging with audiences through interactive experiences.

Omnichannel campaigns for an optimal impact

Omnichannel campaigns are a powerful tool for raising awareness and encouraging vaccination. By integrating multiple communication channels – email, social networks, SMS, online advertising, digital displays – and using accurate segmentation data, they enable specific audiences to be reached with personalized messages.

In the United States, several states and municipalities have collaborated with technology companies to deploy vaccination campaigns integrating various communication channels. Entities such as the State of California, the City of Chicago and the State of New Hampshire have used Salesforce Vaccine Cloud to manage their vaccination programs. This platform enables them to coordinate appointments, manage vaccine stocks and communicate with residents via personalized notifications.

These systems have enabled automated SMS and email reminders to be sent to eligible individuals, informing them of appointment availability and the importance of vaccination. For example, New York State has used similar platforms to send reminders to residents about vaccination appointments. The use of these technologies has contributed to better organizing vaccination campaigns, facilitating access to information, and increasing the participation rate of targeted populations.

Platforms and Applications

An agency can develop specific apps or platforms to track vaccination schedules, send automated reminders, and offer a space where users can ask questions of medical experts. Chatbots, integrated with messengers like WhatsApp, can also provide real-time answers about vaccines. For the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Ministry of Health used the “Sehaty” app to enable citizens to register for vaccination. This digital approach has facilitated access to vaccines and contributed to high vaccination coverage in the country.

A study in India assessed the feasibility and acceptability of “Saheli”, a WhatsApp chatbot providing evidence-based advice on COVID-19 vaccination to pregnant and lactating women in semi-urban northern India. The results indicate that this chatbot was both feasible to implement and well-accepted by this population. In addition, the Indian government launched the “MyGov Corona Helpdesk”, a chatbot on WhatsApp designed to provide information on COVID-19, including the location of vaccination centers and the booking of vaccination slots.

Educational and Interactive Content

Through a variety of multimedia formats (explanatory videos, animated infographics, podcasts), communication agencies can demystify vaccines and address patients’ concerns. In 2021, the “This Is Our Shot” platform was launched in the USA and Canada to counter misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. The campaign used explanatory videos posted on YouTube and TikTok, where doctors and scientists directly answered common questions such as “Can the vaccine change my DNA?” or “What are the possible side effects?”. To boost engagement, live webinars enabled medical experts to respond in real-time to participants’ concerns, while local ambassadors, healthcare professionals and influencers relayed targeted messages on social networks.

“This is our Shot” led by Save the Children, reached over 150 million people in 12 countries via Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram). The initiative has led to a marked improvement in attitudes towards vaccination, with positive changes particularly marked in India regarding vaccine side effects, and in Peru regarding vaccine safety. In addition, according to Meta’s research, the campaign resulted in some 6.4 million vaccination registrations. Read more : Save the Children.

The power of data

Data analysis is the fundamental cornerstone of modern digital campaigns. Using advanced tools such as those developed by IQVIA, agencies can not only identify areas with low vaccine coverage but also understand the specific motivations and concerns of local communities. The data collected also makes it possible to measure the effectiveness of campaigns in real-time and to adjust strategies according to the results obtained.

For example, during the “Vaccines for All” campaign in West Africa, geolocalization data was used to identify remote villages where vaccination coverage was below 30%. Combining this information with local surveys, the agencies designed specific messages, broadcast via SMS and local radio, increasing vaccination coverage by 25% in six months.

By integrating these digital tools into their strategy, agencies can transform vaccine awareness into a targeted, measurable and highly effective effort, addressing the specific needs of populations while proactively combating misinformation.

AI and personalization: the future of awareness

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming approaches to vaccine awareness by enabling communications agencies to target audiences with precision, anticipate needs, and combat misinformation. AI can also be used to analyze campaign results and adjust strategies in real time to maximize their impact.

Trend analysis and misinformation detection

AI can analyze huge amounts of data from social networks, online forums, and search engines to identify geographic or demographic areas where misinformation about vaccines is actively circulating. BlueDot in Canada, a company specializing in AI applied to healthcare, has used its algorithms to analyze online conversations and searches related to COVID-19 vaccines. Thanks to these analyses, the company was able to identify specific regions where false information, such as “vaccines cause infertility,” was most prevalent. This information enabled local agencies and public health authorities to launch targeted corrective campaigns, tailoring their messages to directly address the concerns of these communities. This contributed to an improvement in vaccine confidence in the areas concerned.

Personalized message generation

AI is capable of segmenting populations according to their digital behaviors, concerns expressed online, or level of vaccine hesitation. It can then generate personalized educational messages.

In collaboration with Meta (Facebook), the World Health Organization (WHO) used AI to disseminate accurate information on vaccination against COVID-19. Facebook used AI tools to target specific populations and highlight educational content tailored to users’ concerns. For example, people sharing content expressing concerns about side effects received ads containing explanatory videos on vaccine safety. Meta reported that these campaigns generated millions of impressions and helped direct users to reliable sources such as WHO or local authority websites.

Immersive experiences with augmented and virtual reality