Flu vaccine shortage:Flu vaccine shortage:Gaining public cooperation Gaining public cooperation

through effective communicationthrough effective communication

James Apa, BSJames Apa, BSMatias Valenzuela, Ph.D.Matias Valenzuela, Ph.D.

Public Health - Seattle & King CountyPublic Health - Seattle & King County

Learning objectivesLearning objectives

Identify key considerations in developing a communication and media plan to respond to a public health crisis

Recognize the need to use principles of risk communication throughout a crisis

Recognize the value of public messaging coordination among partner agencies, health care providers and hospitals

By the end of this Hot Topics session you should be able to:

A morning like any other, A morning like any other, until...until... October 5th -- pagers buzz at 8 AM

Reports from Britain that half of U.S. flu vaccine will be unavailable for use this year

What have we heard?

How will this affect local residents?

What comment do we have?

How would you respond to How would you respond to media questions?media questions?

A) Provide no comment

B) Refer all questions to the CDC

C) Handle press questions on a case-by-case basis

D) Hold a press conference and issue press release

An effective communications An effective communications strategy will:strategy will: Meet the information demands of the public and

media before all the facts of a situation are known

Gain and keep the public’s trust and cooperation throughout a period of crisis and uncertainty

Promote resiliency and maintain social bonds when people are afraid

Our approachOur approach Held press conference on

afternoon of October 5th

and issued press release

Provided key messages: prioritization to high-risk populations, good health manners, promising a full inventory of local supplies

Promised local updates as more information became available

Press

Release

Press

Release

Consistent messaging criticalConsistent messaging critical Updated website:

www.metrokc.gov/health

Created taking points for front desk staff

Updated recorded hotline

Alerted public health and hospital partners

Early press coverageEarly press coverage

Who’s to blame for the loss of vaccine?

Are healthy people stepping aside?

Long lines

Where to find vaccine?

Communicating difficult messagesCommunicating difficult messages“I found it difficult to communicate

about vaccine availability for high-risk populations when supplies were so limited.”

Strongly agree

Agree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

Keeping the public updatedKeeping the public updated Second press conference on October 12th,

announcing health order and availability of children’s vaccine

Providing results of survey findings

Updating website, hotline, frontline staff, all Public Health employees

Handling continued press calls

Keeping track of federal Keeping track of federal announcementsannouncements

HHS/CDC press conferences with very little notice, not much new information

Subscribed to HHS/CDC media listserve

Learning new information at the same time as program staff and media

Expect the unexpectedExpect the unexpected Public request for vaccine donations

Proposed walk-up public vaccination clinic at football stadium

“First” flu case released by local provider

Opportunities to educate about Public Health system

Developing good health Developing good health manners campaignmanners campaign Ads for use in non-English media

(print and radio)

Ad boards on buses

Posters for clinics, restaurants, public spaces

Developing on-line training for employees and general public

The next phase: community The next phase: community vaccine distributionvaccine distribution

Coordinated announcement with State Dept. of Health to announce local vaccine allotment

Communicating rationale for balanced, equitable distribution of vaccine

Carefully crafting messaging about public vaccination clinics

Connecting public with vaccineConnecting public with vaccine

Establishing staffed call center

Directing public to providers or nearest public vaccination clinics

Continually updating messages as availability changes

Anticipating future questions Anticipating future questions and issuesand issues

Equity of vaccine availability

Severity of flu season and effectiveness of vaccine

Availability and appropriate use of anti-viral treatments

Safety of imported vaccine

Too much vaccine in January?

Foundation for effective Foundation for effective messaging in a crisismessaging in a crisis

Be first

Be open, honest and available

Be able to deal with evolving information

Express empathy and support

Provide consistent and redundant messages