Immunization resources

Advocacy

Documents and tools to assist in advocating for stronger immunization programs. Our featured resources give you quick access to some of the most up-to-date and essential information on immunization advocacy approaches and lessons learned.

Featured resources

Bridging the "Know-Do" gap: Meeting on knowledge translation in global health (2006)
WHO
This meeting report provides guidance on knowledge translation strategies that can "harness the power of scientific evidence and leadership to inform and transform policy and practice."

The case for childhood immunization (2002)
Kane M, Lasher H. PATH
This colorful, evidence-based, 16-page paper documents the many benefits of fully immunizing children.

Childhood immunization: A worthwhile investment (2003)
PATH (in collaboration with GAVI Alliance)
This attractive PowerPoint show is an immunization advocacy tool designed to be adapted for different situations. Presenters are encouraged to insert their organizational logo, add or subtract pages, substitute images, or revise the text, depending on their needs.

Helping young people become youth advocates for immunization (2000)
Smith T, Wittet S. PATH
Written for teachers and youth group leaders, this 24-page paper is full of practical ideas for teaching children and young adults about infectious disease, immunization, and injection safety and for encouraging them to promote immunization in their communities.

Hepatitis B vaccine introduction—Lessons learned in advocacy, communication, and training (2001)
Wittet S. PATH
This five page paper summarizes lessons learned as a result of over ten years of experience introducing hepatitis B vaccine worldwide.

Immunization: At a glance (2001)
World Bank
This fact sheet lays out the three key reasons that immunization should be a high priority in developing countries and charts out key objectives, interventions, targeted beneficiaries, and outcome measures for successful immunization programs. Additionally, it includes a list of other useful resources and web sites.

Making vaccine technologies work for the poor (2006)
Institute for Development Studies
This briefing emphasizes the impact of a community's perception of immunization and how that perception can inform interventions and advocacy efforts.

Realizing the full potential of childhood immunization: How health professionals can make a difference (1999)
 Wittet S, Aston R. PATH
This eight page paper on local advocacy was written with doctors, nurses, and health educators in mind. It contains many practical suggestions for grassroots initiatives supporting immunization. An Africa-specific version was published in the November 1999 issue of Africa Health magazine. This international version incorporates the insights of co-author Dr. Robert Aston, an immunization advocate from the UK.

Why invest in communication for immunization? Evidence and lessons learned (2005)
Waisbord, S. & Larson, H; Health Communication Partnership (Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) & UNICEF
This report identifies communication challenges that affect the success of immunization services; offers evidence of the contributions of communication activities; identifies lessons learned, and suggests ways in which communication can continue to strengthen immunization programs.

General advocacy resources

“A” frame for advocacy
Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs
A website defining key components of public policy advocacy.

Advocacy for immunization (2000)
GAVI Alliance
How to generate and maintain support for vaccination programs.

Anti-immunisation scare: The inconvenient facts (1999)
Basser S. The Skeptic Journal; 17(1)
Dr. Steve Basser analyses the "quality of science of one particular, very public, opponent of immunisation -- Dr. Vera Scheibner." Dr. Basser finds that "the gaps in her research...call into question her objectivity and cast doubts on her ability to speak as an expert witness. It should be a matter of great concern that material such as Dr Scheibner's is being promoted by groups who ostensibly argue for the right of parents to make up their own minds. How can parents be expected to do this when they are being denied access to so much information?"

"An attempt to swindle nature": Anti-immunization press reports in Australia, 1993-1997 (1998)
Leask J, Chapman S. Adapted from: Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 22(1):17-26.
This interesting analysis of press coverage examines the most common anti-immunization "themes" in the Australian press and suggests possible advocacy strategies for countering the negative impact of such reportage.

Combatting antivaccination rumors: Lessons learned from case studies in East Africa (2001)
UNICEF
This 68-page manual examines the origin and impact of rumors on immunization programmes in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania and provides practical advice about dealing with rumors.

Communicating with patients about immunization (2000)
National Network for Immunization Information (NNii)
This comprehensive kit is designed to help healthcare providers discuss immunization with their patients. The kit provides accessible information on everything from immunization recommendations to common questions and concerns.

Communication for polio eradication and routine immunization: Checklists and easy reference guides (2002)
World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID)
These checklists and guides cover communication and mobilization aspects of routine immunization and disease surveillance, in addition to supplemental immunization for polio eradication.

Communication handbook for polio eradication and routine EPI (2000)
WHO
This comprehensive reference tool is intended to help program officers learn about, design, and implement effective research-driven communication programs.

Countering anti-immunisation material
Ministry of Health, New Zealand
Links to documents and other websites which help answer inaccurate claims about immunization or specific vaccines.

Games for adolescent reproductive health: An international handbook (2002)
PATH
The attractive, 69-page handbook includes "45 games, tips on getting started working with youth, guidance on creating your own games, ready-to-use card sets, and the research and theory behind it all." While the content focusses on reproductive health, all the games and activities in this book could be adapted for immunization and other health topics.

How to advise parents unsure about immunization (2000)
Halperin S. Canadian Journal of CME
Guidance on addressing parents' concerns and educating them on the benefits of childhood immunization.

Impact of antivaccine movements on pertussis control: the untold story (1998)
Gangarosa E, et al. Lancet; 351(9099): 356–361
To assess the impact of antivaccine movements that targeted pertussis whole-cell vaccines, the researchers compared pertussis incidence in countries where high coverage with diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccines (DTP) was maintained with countries where immunization was disrupted by antivaccine movements. Pertussis incidence was 10 to 100 times lower in countries where high vaccine coverage was maintained than in countries where immunization programs were compromised by antivaccine movements.

Increasing immunisation coverage in Uganda: The community problem-solving and strategy development approach (2004)
BASICS II, Uganda Ministry of Health
This short paper describes in some detail how Ugandan communities were involved in improving immunization services. The paper includes an annex with common questions posed by community members, and suggested answers, in both English and French.

An introduction to advocacy—A training guide
USAID
This well-written and formatted, 130-page training manual provides tools to help people engage in the advocacy process. Though written specifically for an African audience, the guide can be used anywhere. The full guide has been divided into three .pdf downloads: the first contains the cover, table of contents, and introductory pages; the second contains modules 1 through 5; and the third contains modules 6 through 10, the glossary, and references.

Knowledge utilization and the process of policy formation (1995)
USAID
This literature review analyzes the use of technical information for influencing policy.

Polio eradication advocacy guide (1999)
WHO
An excellent, brief guide to advocacy activities, using polio eradication as a case study.

Promotion of immunisation in Uganda: A booklet for leaders (2002)
Uganda Ministry of Health
This is an excellent example of how data can effectively be used to advocate for support of immunization programs.

Roleplay: Rumours about vaccines (2002)
WHO Global Training Network
A 20-minute exercise providing practice tools for responding to rumors about vaccines.

Strengthening immunization programs: The communication component (2004)
Shimp L. BASICS II, USAID
This document outlines and endorses the use of communication for immunization programs and is intended to serve as a tool for program planning and management.

Sustaining EPI: What can communication do? (1990)
Rasmuson M.
This excellent, 17-page document explores ways that communication interventions can strengthen an Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI). It also describes communication challenges common to immunization programs. Written in 1990, it is as relevant today as it was then.

Vaccines: An issue of trust–Misinformation and government foot-dragging are fanning fears (2001)
Consumer Reports
This article discusses the vaccine safety system, looks at arguments made by anti-vaccination activists and suggests ways for all consumers to better understand and benefit from immunization.

Vaccines dramatically reduce disease in the United States (1999)
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
This chart, adapted by the Immunization Action Coalition from data in the April 2, 1999, issue of MMWR , compares baseline 20th century annual morbidity with 1998 provisional morbidity for ten diseases. The chart demonstrates decreases in morbidity ranging from 95.7% for pertussis to 100% for smallpox, diphtheria, polio, and measles.

Victims of our own success: Will immunization remain the paradigm of effective prevention? (2001)
Grantmakers in Health (GIH)
This issue brief, based on a GIH roundtable discussion of select grantmakers and national experts in childhood immunization, explores various factors influencing public acceptance of childhood immunization; the importance of ensuring and conveying accurate information to the public and policymakers; and the role of health philanthropy.

Why invest in communication for immunization? Evidence and lessons learned (2005)
Waisbord, S. & Larson, H; Health Communication Partnership (Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health) & UNICEF
This report identifies communication challenges that affect the success of immunization services; offers evidence of the contributions of communication activities; identifies lessons learned, and suggests ways in which communication can continue to strengthen immunization programs.