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Monthly Roundup: Deepening Vaccine Acceptance Knowledge, Influence Among Journalists, Health Workers, Researchers

Immunization Advocates supports health workers and media professionals with educational resources to help them report accurately on immunization. The program is part of the Vaccine Acceptance & Demand initiative, which works with partners to increase acceptance of vaccines and immunization among communities in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC’s). Learn more about our recent activities in our Monthly Roundup.

Internews South Asia Media Dialogue on Vaccine Equity

Today, Immunization Advocates’ partner Internews and Accountability Lab Nepal hosted a“South Asia Media Dialogue on Vaccine Equity,” supported by Immunization Advocates. Vaccine equity experts and journalists across South Asia discussed bringing more transparency into the global imperative to promote equitable access to vaccines on a local and global level. A recording of the event is available here.

Immunization Advocates partners deepen journalist vaccine knowledge, connections in Latin America, Africa 

Immunization Advocates’ partner Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) in December wrapped up a three-month training and mentorships program for 13 journalists across Latin America. TRF and Sabin brought experts from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Asociación Mexicana de Vacunologia and provided mentorship with experienced journalists to foster more informed coverage of vaccination across the region. The cohort journalists – 85% women – covered vaccine and immunization fundamentals and investigative reporting. Some of the stories derived from this collaboration include:

Journalists from Africa continue to publish stories on vaccines after the conclusion of a similar TRF training program for that region also in 2021:

Early-Career Nurses and Midwives Advance Vaccine Equity and Acceptance Advocacy

Immunization Advocates’ partner Nursing Now Challenge has been working with seven early-career nurses and midwives around the world on a challenge to lend their voice vaccine advocacy and equity efforts globally at forums such as the ICN Congress 2021 and within their own communities. 

Rose Nakame is pictured here.The nurses and midwives have been extending the impact of this challenge in their communities. For example, challenge winner and nurse Rose Mary Nakame through the non-profit organization she founded REMI East Africa recently produced video interviews with nurses and midwives in rural Uganda on the challenges they are facing delivering COVID-19 vaccines and routine immunizations.

Amy Stanley is pictured here.Another of the challenge winners, Amy Staley of New York City in the United States, has recently been elected to a patient safety committee. The New York State Legislature recently passed a law requiring each hospital to create a “Clinical Staffing Committee” by the start of 2022. These committees develop and oversee the hospital’s clinical staffing plan, including oversight of staff to patient ratios in hospitals, implementing plans for emergencies or shortages and staffing distribution.

Amy was elected by peers and leadership as the representative for the medical-surgical division, where she will be the voice of the units within her hospital. Amy hopes the new legislature will listen to creative solutions she and her fellow health workers recommend to reduce the strains the COVID-19 pandemic has placed on hospital systems in her community.

Advocating for Vaccine Equity and Acceptance in 2022

As Sabin’s Madeline Kuney wrote in a recent post in this blog, world leaders in 2022 must learn from the failures in 2021 to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and prevent backsliding in routine immunizations. The investment case released January 19 by the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) calls for $5.2 billion in new funding to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in 96 low- and middle-income countries. As Madeline wrote, “This funding target, especially the $1 billion needed to deliver vaccines in AMC countries, simply must be met if we want to drive the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022.”

Webinar Partnered with Johns Hopkins and International Vaccine Access Center

Kate Hopkins

Sabin’s Director of Research, Kate Hopkins, will join panelists from Johns Hopkins University and the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) on February 17 at 10 a.m. ET to discuss research findings regarding different modes of vaccine messaging and their effectiveness at increasing vaccine uptake. The panel will review literature that employed the different methods of messaging in India and discuss the most persuasive messaging appeals in vaccine decision-making. More information on the webinar and registration is available here.

Sabin to Host VARN2022: Shaping Global Vaccine Acceptance with Localized Knowledge

Vaccination Acceptance Research Network, Sabin Vaccine InstituteSabin is excited to virtually host the Vaccination Acceptance Research Network (VARN) Conference, March 1-3, 2022! Open to the public, VARN2022: Shaping Global Vaccine Acceptance with Localized Knowledge, will serve as a space for exploration, research results sharing and discussing key priorities and opportunities across the ecosystem. Through the conference, Sabin will support the wide dissemination of a growing body of knowledge and evidence-informed strategies for action. Registration closes February 21. View the conference agenda and register to attend today.

Welcoming Nadia Peimbert-Rappaport to Sabin

Nadia Peimbert-RappaportWe’re thrilled to have Nadia Peimbert-Rappaport join us as our Senior Manager of Stakeholder Partnerships on Sabin’s Vaccine Acceptance and Demand Team! Originally from Mexico, Nadia has been working in communications, media relations and public affairs for the past 21 years. She’s focused on the environmental sector and organized civil society for the past 11 years. Before that, she worked for the U.S. State Department and the Office of the President of Mexico. She was most recently supporting the PAHO’s COVID-19 communications and media relations response. She really enjoys working with journalists and communities in rural areas. 

We are excited to have Nadia lead managing the Vaccine Acceptance & Demand team and Immunization Advocates partnerships to support journalists in low and middle-income countries to deepen engagement on vaccines and immunization. Follow Nadia on Twitter, @npeimbert.