How health departments can change vaccine messaging amid rising anti-vaccine sentiment
The Ministry of Health and Human Services has long advocated that vaccination is a key component of public health. Before Robert F. Kennedy was identified as the secretary of the U.S. top public health bureau, long-time vaccine skeptics said he would follow the science of vaccines. But so far, Kennedy’s tenure has had the pharmaceutical industry, clinicians and other healthcare industry stakeholders who look at policy changes.
There is inconsistency in Kennedy’s public comments in the ongoing measles outbreak in Texas. He said on social media that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. But in a subsequent CBS interview, he disrupted vaccination by pointing out that “the vaccine is weakening very quickly.”
Another red flag is Peter Marks' sudden resignation as director of the FDA's Center for Biosystems Assessment and Research, whose oversight includes vaccines. In his resignation letter, Max claimed that Kennedy was not interested in the truth and evidence, but was “an confirmation of his misinformation and lies.” In a subsequent interview with the Associated Press, Max said he refused to allow Kennedy’s team to be kicked out after editing data in the Vaccine Adverse Incident Reporting System (VAERS), a database of vaccine safety incidents. Kennedy said at an event this week that he is planning to change the Vaers, according to STAT.
The vaccine manufacturer has not spoken publicly about Kennedy’s statements or Max’s comments. Pfizer, Granny History, Sanofi and the Modern Man did not respond to news seeking comments. This week, the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) met for the first time since Kennedy became the head of HHS. The committee is important because payers use ACIP recommendations to guide their vaccine coverage decisions. The conference, originally scheduled for February, was postponed to collect public comments, HHS said. Financial analysts are watching ACIP and CDC to show that government vaccine policies have changed.
“This meeting was initially postponed, a small sign of the ACIP vaccine space and future, and this fact has been under significant scrutiny since the appointment of RFK Jr. HHS chief, William Blair analyst Myles Minter wrote in a note sent to investors.
Anti-vaccine rhetoric did not take over the meeting. Vaccine demonstrations and discussions were conducted in the same way as previous ACIP sessions. Arexvy, a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine from GSK, Abrysvo from Pfizer, received a positive ACIP vote for increased risk of RSV disease in adults aged 50 to 59, expanding the target population of the product. GSK also provides ACIP recommendations for its new meningococcal vaccine, Penmenvy.
In Chikungunya, Bavaria's Northern Europe's Vimkunya received a positive ACIP vote. However, Valneva's Chikungunya vaccine IXCHIQ has been under review due to the adverse effects of a small number of cases. The committee voted to recommend preventive measures, pointing out such risks for people aged 65 and older. All of these votes are just suggestions. The CDC supervisor may accept or reject these suggestions. The agency is currently led by acting director Susan Monarez. President Trump nominated her to play leadership after withdrawing the nomination of physician and former Congressman Dave Weldon.
So far, ACIP is continuing to make scientific-based vaccine recommendations. But Steven Lupo, a partner in life science practice at consulting firm West Monroe, said vaccine messaging and strategy need to come from multiple places. It is the responsibility of clinicians to explain how the umbrella effect of immunity prevents unforeseen diseases. Insurance companies should make the vaccine ready to be available and easy to use. Pharmaceutical companies need to be more transparent about the science of their vaccines and the clinical data that supports them.
“In the long run, everyone has a responsibility to communicate and make the public understandable responsibility, which is easier to prevent than to treat,” Lupo said.
Stakeholders in all healthcare industries can improve their messaging by adapting new ways people consume information. Lupo said that means drug ads dancing with people. Although the United States is different from most in the world when it comes to allowing pharmaceutical advertising, Lupo notes that the purpose of these ads is to target clinicians and consumers. But pharmaceutical companies can also engage these audiences in new ways, such as social media, he said.
Some companies have been changing their messaging outreach. Modern CEO Stephane Bancel said mRNA companies’ outreach includes social media. For example, the Tik Tok video provides interviews and local stories about people being vaccinated. This approach takes advantage of localization of part of the Tik Tok algorithm. Moderna has also been providing clinicians with data on hospitalization and mortality rates for local data on Covid-19 and influenza.
“We have used zip code data, about hospitalization rates, COVID, flu mortality rates, to make people aware of the facts, which doctors realize, [Covid-19 infection is] “From a public health perspective, it doesn't make sense to send someone a flu without a discussion about taking the test,” Banker said.
However, pharmaceutical companies face steeper messaging challenges than others, as the public sees less publicly about the pharmaceutical industry. One way they can overcome is to make messaging easier and easier to access.
“I think we need to make scientists who are not scientists, not doctors, not clinicians, so that they can understand how these vaccines work from a very basic perspective,” Lupo said.
The next ACIP recommendation worth paying attention to is the Covid-19 vaccine. Since they went to market, the committee has recommended the widespread use of these vaccines. ACIP discussed changing these suggestions this week to focus on people in high-risk groups. A narrower range can reduce vaccination rates, thereby reducing Pfizer and Hyundai vaccine revenues more deeply, as it has been in Pfizer and Hyundai vaccine revenues since the pandemic. The next ACIP meeting is scheduled to take place on June 25 and 26.
Photo: Francesco Carta Fotografo, Getty Images
