As Covid-19 vaccination rates rise, scientists and medical professionals will be spending more time engaging with hesitant individuals and community leaders about the vaccine.
The Science Media Centre has collated some resources to help experts talk to vaccine-hesitant people.
Advice for talking to vaccine-hesitant people:
- How to Talk About Covid-19 Vaccinations: Building Trust in Vaccination, A Guide, 2021 – The Workshop
– Evidence-based communications techniques and tools from public narrative and communications researchers.
- Quick conversation tips to encourage people to get vaccinated – Immunisation Advisory Centre
– 6 tips for health professionals and the vaccination workforce - Countering Vaccine Misinformation – Research Review
– A practical guide for healthcare providers, including example conversations with patients. You can subscribe to Research Reviews at no cost. - Bridging the gap with someone who’s been pulled in by disinformation – The Spinoff
– See the graphic by Toby Morris to the right
- How to talk to loved ones who are vaccine hesitant – The Spinoff
– From Disinformation Project researcher Kate Hannah.
- Supporting Māori-led Covid-19 vaccination conversations – RNZ / The Workshop
– How whānau Māori are thinking and talking about the Covid-19 vaccine - How to talk to your friends and whānau about the COVID-19 vaccine – Unite Against Covid-19
- Covid-19: How to talk to vaccine fence-sitters – Stuff
- Motivational interviewing in primary care – Best Practice Advocacy Centre New Zealand
– An approach to behaviour change that addresses the emotional as well as the cognitive aspects of a person’s behaviour, making it useful in addressing problematic habits that impact on their health. - Role of Motivational Interviewing in Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy – Psychiatry Advances podcast
- We need to talk about humiliation – Dr Sarb Johal
– How to avoid humiliating people when attempting to persuade them to get vaccinated. Sarb also talked about this with RNZ.
Information about vaccine hesitancy:
- Understanding mis- and disinformation in Aotearoa New Zealand – Te Pūnaha Matatini
– A readable summary of research on disinformation trends through the Delta outbreak - Why do people believe Covid-19 vaccination myths? – Stuff’s The Whole Truth
- New Zealanders prefer ‘own’ style of misinformation – expert – 1News
– Disinformation Project researcher Kate Hannah says NZers prefer hear misinformation in our own vernacular - How mistrust shadows the roll-out in a time of crisis – Stuff
– Deep-dive interviews with vaccine hesitant NZers reveals the nature of their mistrust - The “pro-choice” argument against vaccines, explained – Stuff
Examples of experts engaging with vaccine hesitant people:
- Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: As summer beckons, your vaccine questions – answered – The Spinoff
- Covid-19: Nanogirl on how she fights vaccine hesitancy – RNZ
- How to talk to someone who is vaccine hesitant – Northern Advocate
– Immunologist Maia Brewerton answers some common questions from vaccine hesitant patients - Worried about getting your vaccine or want a simple explanation? – Sciblogs
– A little more explanation than ‘it works’, but without the really deep stuff
Short shareable content on vaccines:
- Short animated videos on the vaccine – Immunisation Advisory Centre
- How the mRNA vaccine works – with forks – TikTok
- The odds of surviving Covid with and without a vaccine – TikTok
- How COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Work – Vaccine Makers Project
– Stunning 3D animation
Resources for Māori and Pacific communities:
- COVID-19 vaccination information in te reo Māori – Unite Against Covid-19
- Rongoā Ārai Mate – Te Rōpū Whakakaupapa Urutā
- COVID-19 Information Hub – Hāpai Te Hauora
- Māori-led response to COVID-19 – Te Puni Kōkiri
- Be a doer! – Karawhiua
- COVID-19 vaccination information in Pacific languages – Ministry for Pacific Peoples
- Pacific Covid vaccination hotline – 0800 21 12 21
- Information for Pacific communities – Prepare Pacific
- Community vaccination fund – Prepare Pacific
- Will you get the Covid-19 vaccine? – Le Va
– A questionnaire for vaccine hesitant Pacific people, which provides information based on their reasons for not wanting the vaccine. - Let’s Talanoa – Ministry for Pacific Peoples
– Helping Pacific youth to navigate COVID-19 conversations with their parents, family and peers. A new project, expected to develop more over time.
Needle phobia:
- Fear of needles or needle phobia – Immunisation Advisory Centre
– For practitioners/vaccinators - Overcoming your needle phobia (fear of needles) – NHS
– For patients