LetsTalkShots: personalized vaccine risk communication

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Vaccine hesitancy poses a significant global health challenge, hindering the control of vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Traditional patient education methods have proven largely ineffective in alleviating vaccine concerns and boosting vaccination rates.
• A personalized approach to risk communication is needed to address individual concerns and improve vaccine uptake.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a personalized vaccine risk communication website, LetsTalkShots.
• To tailor messages, credible sources, and informational animations to specific populations and their concerns.
• To leverage behavioral theories to enhance the effectiveness of vaccine communication.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods research was employed, including 67 discussion groups (n=325) stratified by race/ethnicity and population demographics.
• A large Ipsos survey (n=2,272) tested animations tailored to specific vaccine concerns and demographic groups.
• Feedback from discussion groups informed improvements to animations and communication strategies.

Main Results:

• Discussion groups yielded valuable feedback for refining animations and communication strategies.
• The majority of respondents found the presented information interesting (85.5%), clear (96.0%), helpful (87.0%), and trustworthy (82.2%).
• Animations and tailored content were well-received across diverse participant groups.

Conclusions:

• Personalized vaccine risk communication is a viable strategy to support informed decision-making regarding vaccinations.
• The LetsTalkShots website serves as a model for personalized communication strategies applicable to other medical and public health domains.
• Tailored communication can empower individuals, families, and communities to make confident vaccination choices.