Who hasn't heard sinister rumors about COVID? Not just the origin of the disease, but the alleged dangers of vaccination from government control to sterilization. Business leaders need their workforce vaccinated and back in the office or in front of customers. Rumor-fueled resistance to vaccination presents a big problem.
Anthropologist Heidi Larson, heads the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her team, which includes psychologists and data analysts, operate like detectives -- tracing the origin of rumors and developing means to combat them.
She says that rumors arise from deep anxieties and a need to blame or make sense of a frightening reality. Listen to her conversation with the Vanguard Vaccination Project's Ken Banta.
CAMPAIGNS
The Vaccine Confidence Project™ has a global network of contributors who help assess economic, social and health sentiments about COVID-19 in 117 countries. Its interdisciplinary team has experts in anthropology, digital analytics, epidemiology, policy, and psychology, who have been involved in tracking a number of vaccine acceptance and practice issues for many years. Its archives include reports, blogs, podcasts, and videos.
Vaccine Confidence Project is located at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Its mission is to monitor public confidence in immunization programs to detect concerns and provide guidance for early response and engagement with the public to ensure sustained confidence in vaccines. It has collaborating partners and research institutes, including UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and increasingly with businesses.
The Vaccine Confidence Weekly and other information is available as well. Click here to view.