Digital innovations in vaccination communication

Abstract

Despite the significant success of vaccinations, increasing vaccine hesitancy poses a threat to public health, making effective vaccination communication essential. Both personalized, needs-based conversations between healthcare providers and patients and large-scale, standardized vaccination campaigns through traditional media are important tools for addressing patients’ concerns, correcting misinformation, and conveying positive arguments for the benefits of vaccination. This article describes innovative digital solutions for vaccination communication that combine the strengths of these two approaches, potentially becoming vital components of vaccination communication in an increasingly digital society. We focus on four digital solutions: social media, smartphone apps, chatbots, and immersive technologies (particularly virtual reality). We describe the features of these media and technologies, potential target groups for their application, selected scientific evidence regarding their effectiveness in vaccination communication, and potential research gaps and opportunities. Finally, we offer suggestions for possible application areas of these digital solutions in vaccination communication. While research on the use of innovative digital solutions in vaccination communication is still in its early stages, we see great potential for integrating these technologies as complementary measures into comprehensive vaccination communication strategies to enhance the effectiveness of future vaccination campaigns and promote global health.