Please note: this course is run jointly by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the University of Antwerp. The course will take place in the Frederik De Tassiszaal at Hof van Liere, University of Antwerp. Applications are administered by the University of Antwerp.
Although most people vaccinate, some groups or individuals delay or refuse vaccines. Episodes of public concerns about vaccines are occurring around the world, with misinformation and rumours spreading quickly and sometimes seriously eroding public confidence in immunisation and ultimately leading to vaccine refusals and disease outbreaks.
This 3.5-day course, developed by the Vaccine Confidence ProjectTM at LSHTM/UAntwerp, will highlight the importance of maintaining and improving vaccine confidence and explore the diversity of concerns and perceptions about vaccines and how they have impacted vaccine uptake across multiple global settings.
Through case studies, we will examine interventions to address different concerns and build public trust, considering risk perceptions, rumour psychology and the role and impact of digital and social media. The course will introduce participants to measures and tools that can be used to assess confidence (from quantitative and qualitative research to media monitoring) to inform strategies that can be implemented to address low or decreasing confidence in vaccination in multiple settings globally.
Who is this course for?
The course has been designed for public health professionals, policymakers and researchers from academia, governments, NGOs, and industry. The course will have a global focus, with examples from a range of settings.
It will be assumed that participants will have some prior experience/basic understanding of vaccination and/or vaccination programmes. Participants should have a good command of English.
The full programme for 2024 will be announced shortly. Please visit the University of Antwerp website for full course details.
Aims & objectives
The aim of this course is to equip participants with the knowledge, conceptual frameworks, and tools necessary to measure and assess confidence in vaccines and to manage complex communication and trust-building challenges, including risk and rumour management. At the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand drivers of low confidence in different vaccines in various contexts and for various population groups
- Understand how issues of low confidence and trust can impact on immunisation programmes and vaccine uptake
- Measure vaccine confidence and identify drivers of distrust
- Implement effective interventions and strategies to build trust and manage risks around vaccines.
Applications should be made online via the University of Antwerp website.