A confiança é o princípio fundamental dos programas de imunização. Quando as populações confiam nos profissionais de saúde, no sistema de saúde e no ministério da Saúde de seu país, é mais provável que sigam suas recomendações de vacinação. No entanto, quando essa confiança é minada ou quebrada, a adesão vacinal pode se enfraquecer, deixando as populações em risco de contrair doenças imunopreveníveis.
Uma das coisas mais importantes que os governos podem fazer para fortalecer a confiança na vacinação é seguir os princípios de comunicação de risco e envolvimento da comunidade. A falta de claridade na comunicação permite a proliferação de rumores sobre os riscos da vacinação, da desconfiança sobre o programa de imunização e da recusa ou hesitação vacinal. Se as informações sobre a vacinação não forem transmitidas de forma eficaz, isso pode causar sérios problemas de reputação para os programas de imunização e para o sistema de saúde em geral, diminuindo a aceitação e a adesão às vacinas e aumentando o risco de surtos de doenças imunopreveníveis entre grupos populacionais com imunização incompleta.
Princípios de comunicação de risco e envolvimento da comunidade para a vacinação
Seguir os princípios de comunicação de risco e envolvimento da comunidade da estrutura de comunicações estratégicas da OMS melhora a comunicação sobre as doenças imunopreveníveis e a vacinação:
O envolvimento da comunidade é essencial para entender suas necessidades e perspectivas sobre a vacinação. Além disso, a colaboração com as comunidades permitirá que os programas de imunização desenvolvam serviços de vacinação de melhor qualidade e aprimorem sistemas e políticas.
Use o documento da OMS Desenho centrado nas pessoas para adaptação dos programas de vacinação para envolver as comunidades no diagnóstico das barreiras à vacinação, planejar e implementar intervenções para enfrentá-las e avaliar e ajustar conforme necessário.
Gestão de informações errôneas sobre vacinação
Informações errôneas sobre a vacinação têm um impacto muito real sobre a adesão vacinal. Informações falsas e desinformação sobre as vacinas têm o potencial de abalar a confiança do público no calendário de imunização de rotina, bem como nas novas vacinas. Estudos demonstraram que a exposição a informações falsas negativas sobre as vacinas por apenas 5 a 10 minutos aumenta a percepção de risco da vacinação e está associada a uma menor probabilidade de tomar a vacina; a exposição a informações errôneas sobre o risco da vacinação pode levar as pessoas a perceberem riscos que não existem ou são extremamente baixos.
Os comunicadores que apoiam os programas nacionais de imunização devem investir em atividades de escuta social em diversas plataformas para entender o que o público está pensando e dizendo sobre a vacinação. Essas informações podem então serem utilizadas para tomar medidas a fim de corrigir informações errôneas por meio de “imunização informacional” (prebunking) e da refutação de informações errôneas (debunking).
Combating false information on vaccines:
| The document "Combating False Information on Vaccines: A Guide for Health Workers" is designed to help health workers address vaccine misinformation. It begins by defining misinformation and explaining why it spreads rapidly, often due to its emotional appeal and simplistic explanations. The guide identifies common sources of vaccine misinformation, including influential individuals who profit from spreading false information. The document outlines strategies for combating misinformation, emphasizing the importance of health workers as trusted sources. It provides tips for identifying misinformation online, such as checking URLs, dates, and author credentials, and recognizing tactics like evoking strong emotions or pushing conspiracy theories. Two main approaches to fighting misinformation are discussed: prebunking and debunking. Prebunking involves warning individuals about potential misinformation before they encounter it, while debunking aims to correct false information after it has been consumed. The guide offers practical examples for both methods. Additionally, the document highlights the role of health workers in supporting peers and patients to trust immunization. It suggests being kind, nonjudgmental, and transparent when addressing concerns, and using motivational interviewing techniques to understand and respond to patients' doubts. Overall, the guide emphasizes the critical role of health workers in maintaining trust in vaccines and provides comprehensive strategies to identify, address, and prevent the spread of vaccine misinformation in clinical and community settings. The guide is a valuable resource for health workers to enhance their ability to combat vaccine misinformation, support informed decision-making, and promote trust in vaccines within their communities, and it addresses a pressing issue with practical solutions, supports trusted health workers, and ultimately aims to protect public health by promoting accurate information and trust in vaccines. |
| The document "Combating False Information on Vaccines: A Guide for EPI Managers" is designed to help Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) managers address vaccine misinformation. It begins by defining misinformation and explaining why it spreads rapidly, often due to its emotional appeal and simplistic explanations. The guide identifies common sources of vaccine misinformation, including influential individuals who profit from spreading false information. The document outlines strategies for combating misinformation, emphasizing the importance of EPI managers as trusted sources. It provides tips for identifying misinformation online, such as checking URLs, dates, and author credentials, and recognizing tactics like evoking strong emotions or pushing conspiracy theories. Two main approaches to fighting misinformation are discussed: prebunking and debunking. Prebunking involves warning individuals about potential misinformation before they encounter it, while debunking aims to correct false information after it has been consumed. The guide offers practical examples for both methods. Additionally, the document highlights the role of EPI managers in supporting health workers to trust immunization. It suggests being kind, nonjudgmental, and transparent when addressing concerns, and using motivational interviewing techniques to understand and respond to health workers' doubts. The guide also emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive environment for health workers, promoting pro-vaccine norms, and providing continuing education on vaccines. Overall, the guide aims to help EPI managers maintain trust in vaccines and provides comprehensive strategies to identify, address, and prevent the spread of vaccine misinformation in clinical and community settings. This document is necessary to equip EPI managers with the knowledge and tools to combat vaccine misinformation, support their teams, and promote trust in vaccines, ultimately protecting public health. |
| False information about vaccines and vaccination – whether it is spread intentionally (known as disinformation) or not (known as misinformation) – poses a serious threat to public health in the Americas. Multiple studies have shown that exposure to vaccine-related misinformation can shake population trust in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and negatively impact individuals’ attitudes and intentions toward vaccination, even among individuals who have previously been vaccinated. Unsurprisingly, misinformation that implies vaccination causes harm and that sounds scientifically credible has shown to be more likely to deter individuals from intending to get vaccinated. Fighting back against science deniers and their misinformation is a critical part of maintaining trust in immunization and protecting populations from a variety of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). Critical in this fight are understanding how and why misinformation spreads; which approaches can be employed to combat it, both before and after people have been exposed; and rebuilding trust in immunization after it has been shaken. Ministry of Health risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) teams face a daunting task in staying abreast of misinformation, so they are able to monitor it and take decisive action to combat it when needed. By collaborating at the national, district, and local levels with a variety of partners – including health workers (HW), who have been repeatedly shown to be the most trusted source of information on vaccines and vaccination – RCCE teams can use several different approaches to equip their audiences with the tools and knowledge to resist misinformation. |
| The document "Combating False Information on Vaccines: A Guide for Educators" aims to help educators address vaccine misinformation. It begins by defining misinformation and explaining why it spreads rapidly, often due to its emotional appeal and simplistic explanations. The guide identifies common sources of vaccine misinformation, including influential individuals who profit from spreading false information. The document outlines strategies for combating misinformation, emphasizing the importance of educators as trusted sources. It provides tips for identifying misinformation online, such as checking URLs, dates, and author credentials, and recognizing tactics like evoking strong emotions or pushing conspiracy theories. Two main approaches to fighting misinformation are discussed: prebunking and debunking. Prebunking involves warning individuals about potential misinformation before they encounter it, while debunking aims to correct false information after it has been consumed. The guide offers practical examples for both methods. Additionally, the document highlights the role of educators in supporting students and their families to trust immunization. It suggests being kind, nonjudgmental, and transparent when addressing concerns, and using motivational interviewing techniques to understand and respond to students' doubts. The guide also includes lesson plan ideas and video discussion questions to help educators integrate these strategies into their classrooms. Overall, the guide emphasizes the critical role of educators in maintaining trust in vaccines and provides comprehensive strategies to identify, address, and prevent the spread of vaccine misinformation in educational settings. It provides educators with the knowledge and tools to identify and combat vaccine misinformation effectively. This is crucial as educators are trusted sources of information and can influence students and their families positively. |
| Journalists play a critical role in keeping the public up to date on information they need to be healthy, including staying current on their vaccines. Along with health workers, the media is one of the most trusted sources the public have for scientific information; journalists help shape perceptions, attitudes, and even behaviors. This document aims to support journalists, regardless of their medium, to accurately cover stories related to vaccines and vaccination. Journalists play a critical role in keeping the public up to date on information they need to be healthy, including staying current on their vaccines. Along with health workers, the media is one of the most trusted sources the public have for scientific information; journalists help shape perceptions, attitudes, and even behaviors. While misinformation about vaccination is as old as vaccines themselves, its more recent explosion, especially on social media, has caused concern for health professionals and scientists. Studies have demonstrated that even brief exposure to vaccine misinformation can negatively impact individuals’ attitudes and intentions toward vaccination, even among people who have previously been vaccinated. As vaccination coverage rates fall, populations are left exposed to deadly vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) like measles, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, tetanus, and others. Keeping people healthy and protected from VPDs requires collaboration across sectors, especially in the face of vaccine misinformation. For this reason, PAHO has created this document for media professionals covering vaccination, which covers bias and balance, norms and perceptions, and tips on other related topics, as well as additional resources for further information. |
| Have you seen or heard something about vaccines online that has made you do a double take? There is no shortage of vaccine misinformation out there, from wild conspiracy theories to small pieces of the truth that have been distorted or blown out of proportion. What is true though, is that the overwhelming majority of scientists and medical experts agree that vaccines are safe and effective, and that not being vaccinated puts you and your loved ones at risk of deadly diseases that could start to make an appearance again if not enough people are vaccinated. Because even a brief exposure to misinformation about vaccines can impact a person’s decision to get vaccinated, it is important that we all do our part to stop its spread. As a content creator on social media, you can learn tips and tricks on how to spot misinformation and share them with your followers. By doing so, you will be making the world a healthier and safer place – and who does not want that? |
Imunização informacional
Refutação
Tanto para a imunização informacional quanto para a refutação, a escuta social é essencial para entender o que o público está dizendo sobre a vacinação e quais rumores que podem afetar a adesão vacinal estão circulando.
Para obter mais informações sobre como lidar com informações errôneas relacionadas à vacinação, consulte a publicação da OPAS Orientações para a comunicação de riscos relacionados à vacinação. São apresentadas dicas práticas relacionadas a processos e princípios de comunicação de risco e envolvimento da comunidade, mensagens, percepções de risco, abordagem de informações errôneas, colaboração com parceiros e farmacovigilância, além de exemplos da vida real.
Profissionais de saúde e vacinação
Os profissionais de saúde são consistentemente classificados como uma das fontes de informação que mais inspiram confiança sobre a vacinação. A recomendação de um profissional de saúde a favor da vacinação pode ter um tremendo impacto na adesão vacinal. No entanto, para que essas recomendações tenham o máximo efeito, os profissionais de saúde devem apresentá-las com empatia e usando informações baseadas em fatos, levando em conta aspectos culturais e possíveis barreiras. Por esse motivo, a OPAS incentiva veementemente os programas nacionais de imunização (PNIs) a investir nos profissionais de saúde, capacitando-os em comunicação interpessoal bidirecional sobre vacinação. Além das capacitações, os PNIs podem desenvolver ferramentas e recursos visuais para garantir que os profissionais de saúde tenham em mãos o conhecimento científico necessário ao conversar com clientes e membros da comunidade que possam procurá-los em busca de orientações sobre a vacinação.
Da mesma maneira, os profissionais de comunicação em saúde devem cogitar a elaboração de campanhas, estratégias e intervenções específicas — ou, pelo menos, de mensagens direcionadas que tenham sido pré-testadas com o público-alvo — voltadas para os profissionais de saúde para ajudar a reforçar os principais pontos que as serem abordados na comunicação com os pacientes e o público em geral sobre a vacinação.
