In this webinar, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, and Charysse Nunez, insights lead for the Ad Council’s COVID Campaign, provided updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinations, and communications efforts. This webinar was put on by the Public Health Communications Collaborative.

1. UPDATES AND RESOURCES FROM
CDC AND THE AD COUNCIL
FEBRUARY 24, 2021

2. Poll Questions
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Which term best describes where you
work?
a. National governmental public health
organization
b. State health department
c. Local health department
d. Public health NGO (non-governmental
organization)
e. Health care facility
f. K-12 school or school system
g. University or higher education
h. Other
What is your most pressing
communications challenge?
a. Vaccine distribution
b. Vaccine confidence
c. Safety precautions (masks, distancing,
etc.)
d. Trust in public health
e. Message consistency (federal, state,
local)
f. Health literacy

3. Agenda
• Updates from Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of CDC
• Messaging Content and Guidance from Charysse Nunez, Insights Lead
for the Ad Council’s COVID Campaign
• Q&A facilitated by Dr. Judy Monroe, President and CEO of the CDC
Foundation
• Overview of the latest PHCC resources for public health communications
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4. CDC Updates
Dr. Anne Schuchat
Principal Deputy Director
CDC

5. COVID-19
Vaccine Education
VACCINE ADOPTION
INSIGHTS
February 25, 2021

6. COVID-19 VACCINE DEMAND CONTINUUM
29%
INTENDING
15%
RESISTANT
18%
SKEPTICAL
22%
OPEN BUT UNCERTAIN
16%
VACCINATED
with 1+ dose*
‘WAIT AND SEE’ ATTITUDE
National survey conducted February 11-17, 2021 │n=1601 adults 18+ *CDC|Data posted as of Feb 22, 2021 6:00 am EST

7. VACCINE INTENT IS IMPROVING BUT
OPPORTUNITIES REMAIN
15%
20%
12%
15%
22%
19%
16%
18%
26%
24%
20%
22%
24%
23%
34%
29%
13%
14%
18%
16%
HISPANIC
BLACK
WHITE
TOTAL POPULATION
RESISTANT SKEPTICAL OPEN BUT UNCERTAIN INTENDING Vaccinated
▲ VS. DEC ‘20
*
*
*
▼VS. DEC ‘20
▼VS. DEC ‘20
National survey conducted February 11-17, 2021 │n=1601 adults 18+
*Calibrated vaccination rates based on IPSOS survey reported data and CDC reported total population vaccination rate as of February 22, 2021
▼VS. DEC ‘20
▲Denotes statistically significant increase vs. Dec 2020
▼Denotes statistically significant decrease vs. Dec 2020

8. THE HESITANT
POPULATION HAS A
WAIT AND SEE
MINDSET AND
MANY INTEND TO
WAIT MONTHS
BEFORE
CONSIDERING
VACCINATION 21%
23%
11%
7%
38%
Immediately when available to me
Wait 1-3 months
Wait 4-6 months
Wait longer than 6 months
Not sure if or when I would get it
Q. If the COVID-19 vaccine were available to you, when would you get vaccinated?
National survey conducted February 11-17 2021 │n=1,1600 adults 18+
Vaccine hesitant population
>50% willing
to wait 4+
months

9. WHY ARE PEOPLE HESITANT
People’s hesitancy is driven by four key areas where information deficits and misinformation exist
Concerns about safety and side effects from COVID-19 vaccination
Speed of the clinical development process
Distrust in the political and economic motives of the government and corporations
Established and novel conspiracy theories involving vaccines
Reasons behind distrust
vary by race/ethnicity &
political affiliation
“I’m not sure if I trust a
government vaccine.
Before they were saying it
would take much longer to
have one ready.”
“I heard that this is a new type of vaccine. How do they
really know if it’s safe, especially in the long term? At
some point, are we going to be seeing ads from lawyers
saying, ‘Did you get the COVID vaccine in 2021 and have
suffered serious problems?’”
“It’s a good thing that they have a
vaccine. But I don’t want to get it
until I know for sure that it really
is safe and effective. I’m not
going to get it right away.”
“

10. LOW CONFIDENCE IN VACCINE KNOWLEDGE
IMPACTS VACCINE INTENT
INTENDING POPULATION VACCINE HESITANT POPULATION
52%
57%
59%
Getting vaccinated is important to me
I’m confident I know enough to guide my
decision about getting a COVID-19 vaccine
The benefits of COVID-19 vaccines are
much greater than the risks 58%
61%
59%
47%
56%
48%
Total Black Hispanic
Total
98%
96%
90%
% AGREE COMPLETELY/AGREE SOMEWHAT
National survey conducted February 11-17, 2021│n=1601 adults 18+
►

11. Q. Covid-19 vaccines are rolling out across the country but are not expected
to be widely available to the general public for another 1-2 months. Right now,
even if you are not eligible for the vaccine do you want to get
information about the vaccines so you can make an informed decision when
the vaccines becomes available to you?
73%
62%
71%
27%
38%
29%
TOTAL BLACK HISPANIC
Yes No
Feedback Loop survey February 2021
General Market Vaccine Hesitant N= 319, Black N=242,
Hispanic N= 89
THE MAJORITY
WANT
INFORMATION TO
ADDRESS THEIR
QUESTIONS NOW,
DESPITE
AVAILABILITY

12. EMPHASIZING
THE BENEFITS
OUTWEIGH THE
PERCIEVED
RISKS IS KEY TO
INFLUENCE
UPTAKE
92%
48%
87%
46%
Intending
Vaccine
Hesitant
Q. How effective do you think that the COVID-19 vaccines approved by the FDA are in preventing
people from getting COVID-19?
Q. If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves of the COVID-19 vaccine, how safe
do you think it would be for you to ge
EFFICACY SAFETY
National survey conducted February 11-17 2021 │n=1,1600 adults 18+
Vaccine hesitant population (T2B very safe/safe, T2B Very effective, effective

13. MESSAGING ELEMENTS THAT RESONATE
ACROSS AUDIENCES
Acknowledge
Concerns
Moments Missed Protection Positive Tone
Acknowledge people’s
hesitancy rather than
challenge it
Provide the promise of
scientific unbiased
answers
Highlighting moments of
human connection missed
serve as a powerful
reminder that vaccination
is a pathway to regaining
these moments
Emphasis on protecting
myself, loved ones and
those most vulnerable.
Inviting & respectful as
opposed to demanding
Acknowledge that the
choice is yours to make,
which ties to deeply
rooted American values of
liberty and freedom

14. MESSAGING ELEMENTS REJECTED
ACROSS AUDIENCES
Negativity & Fear The Right Thing
To Do
Overpromising or
Obfuscation
‘Back to Normal’
Avoid reminders of how
difficult the year has been,
as it can invoke a sense of
hopelessness
Fear tactics don’t
generate trust or answer
questions about vaccines
References to “many
people already stepping
up” can come off as pushy
or accusatory
Most understand that
mass vaccination is a
long-term process. Avoid
messages that imply
vaccine availability will
“flip the switch”
For most post-pandemic
life will never be “the way
it was”
It’s more about getting
back to life rather than
back to normal

15. Sources:
Source: A/B testing & language evaluation
n= 434 vaccine hesitant adults. Conducted 11/24/20-12/1/20
CONSUMER LANGUAGE DO’S & DON’TS
DO SAY DON’T SAY
A safe and effective vaccine
Authorized by FDA based on clinical testing
Get the latest information
Keep your family safe; keep those most vulnerable safe
Public Health
Medical experts and doctors
People who have questions
A vaccine developed quickly
Operation Warp Speed; Emergency Use Authorization
There are things we still don’t know
Keep your country safe
Government
Scientists
“Anti-vaxxers”

16. REACH
TRUST My Doctor/HCP
My
Pharmacist
My Family
& Friends
News
Media
National
Political
Leaders
Public
Health
Experts
Entertainers
& Athletes
Governors
& Mayors
Religious
Leaders
COVID
Survivors
Employers
State/Local
DOHs
CDC
CBOs
Broadly Appealing
Across Audiences
Varies Widely By
Audience Depending
on Specific
Messenger
Analysis based on polling reports from multiple sources
DIFFERENT MESSENGERS EMBODY
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF TRUST AND REACH

17. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
LEAD
WITH
EMPATHY
USE
EMOTIONAL
TRIGGERS
MOTIVATION
TO GET
INFORMED
+ =
Facts about safety are key, but the messenger is critical—
and medical experts are most trusted.

18. Q&A

19. Q&A Submissions
• Please keep your microphone muted.
• Submit questions directly to ALL PANELISTS via the chat function.
• Please include your affiliation in your question submission.
• If your question is selected, we will unmute you and ask your question.
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20. Q&A
A lot of our residents are hitting the “pandemic wall.” How
do we break through this fatigue when we’re asking them
to keep wearing masks even as they get vaccinated?
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21. Q&A
Concerns about possible long-term side-effects of the
vaccine are circulating on some media and social
platforms. As health professionals we know that long term
side effects with any vaccine are not likely. What's the best
way to credibly address these concerns when the reality is
at this point, we have a short history with the COVID
vaccine?
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22. Q&A
There are already variants spreading that cannot be fully
prevented by the vaccines, and more are sure to develop.
How do we encourage people to get a vaccine we know
will not entirely eliminate the virus without overstating the
importance and further eroding trust in public health?
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23. PHCC Resources
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Template PowerPoint Presentation
Find these and other resources at publichealthcollaborative.org/

24. Contact Us
info@publichealthcollaborative.org
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Thank you