Risk communication on vaccines during the COVID19 pandemic: is there room for small size or private initiatives? An Israeli experience

Abstract

The scientific communication landscape has undergone a significant disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic: a huge number of publications, ample use of preprint publications, a fast-spreading digitalized information. This reflected the unprecedented speed of the research on disease and vaccines. Two kinds of infodemic blew up very soon: a scientific and a tabloid one. With knowledge evolving continuously, governments and institutions deployed their communication campaigns very quickly to explain the different measures, including the vaccination strategies and to fight against infodemics. The need for a more focused population, the French-speaking community, arose spontaneously in Israel, leading to the creation of a Vaccine Task Force, independent, multidisciplinary, and composed of 20 high-level volunteers, physicians, pharmacists, and scientists, which provides evidence-based information, open and free, to healthcare professionals and the public, both most in demand, and then the experts’ meetings in Israel and abroad. Current resources: 40 webinars, all recorded and accessible on the association website, questions and answers, press and scientific literature review, and hotline; communication through the website, social media, and audio-visual media. In French, English, and Hebrew. The team undertook to explain the role of Israel in vaccine rollout and real-world data provision to the international community, both in Israel and abroad. Performance indicators are as follow: attendees’ number (~3000), website frequentation (7200 +) social media followers. In conclusion, this information campaign requires no budget; relies on volunteers who expressed their willingness to contribute to the global effort, as seen all over the world; and uses simple, cheap, and ubiquitous IT platforms. The Task Force created ERANIM, the Israel Society for Medication and Vaccines Safety. This scheme could easily apply for minorities or for medium/low-income countries, using the resources available in WHO, Vaccine Safety Net, health agencies, and academies. Key factors are multidisciplinary, influencers belonging to communities, and a network of partnerships. Plain Language Summary Risk communication on vaccines during the COVID19 pandemic: is there room for small size or private initiatives? An Israeli experience Background: The scientific communication landscape has undergone a significant disruption since the COVID-19 pandemic: a huge number of publications, ample use of preprint publications, a fast-spreading digitalized information. This reflected the unprecedented speed of the research on disease and vaccines. Two kinds of infodemic blew up very soon: a scientific and a tabloid one. With knowledge evolving continuously, governments and institutions deployed their communication campaigns very quickly to explain the different measures, including the vaccination strategies and to fight against infodemics. An Israelian initiative: method: The need for a more focused population, the French-speaking community, arose spontaneously in Israel, leading to the creation of a Vaccine Task Force, independent, multidisciplinary, and composed of 20 high-level volunteers, physicians, pharmacists, and scientists, which provides science-based information, open and free, to healthcare professionals and the public, both most in demand, and then the experts’ meetings in Israel and abroad. Results: Current resources: More than 40 webinars, recorded, questions and answers, press and scientific literature review, and hotline, through the website, social media, and audio-visual media. In French, English, and Hebrew. The team undertook to explain the role of Israel in vaccine rollout and real-world data provision to the international community, both in Israel and abroad. Performance indicators are as follow: attendees number (~3000), website frequentation (7200 +) social media followers. In conclusion: This information campaign requires no budget; relies on volunteers who expressed their willingness to contribute to the global effort, as seen all over the world; and uses simple, cheap, and ubiquitous IT platforms. The Task Force created ERANIM, the Israel Society for Medication and Vaccines Safety. This scheme could easily apply for minorities or for medium/low-income countries, using the resources available in WHO, Vaccine Safety Net, health agencies, and academies. Key factors are multidisciplinary, influencers belonging to communities, and a network of partnerships.