Table 1 The comprehensive COMMVAC taxonomy of communication interventions for childhood vaccination

Inform or Educate

Interpersonal communication

Interventions to enable people to understand the meaning and relevance of vaccination to their health and the health of their family or community. Interventions may be tailored to particular populations and can also serve to address misinformation.

e.g. face to face interactions, one-on-one or in groups

Printed material

e.g. pamphlets, brochures, fact sheets, media kits

Mail

e.g. postcards, letters, newsletters or email

Phone

e.g. telephone calls, hotlines or SMS

Objects, devices or tools

e.g. printed mugs, t-shirts, magnets or calendars

Web-based

e.g. online forums, social media, websites

School curriculum kits

e.g. lesson plans, activity booklets, or other materials designed for use in schools

Community event

e.g. rallies, vaccination carnivals, health week events

Edutainment performance

e.g. song, skit, docudrama or performance on TV, radio, film, theatre

Mass media advertising

e.g. notifications or advertisements delivered by newspaper, radio, TV, town criers

Celebrity spokespeople

e.g. messages delivered by recognisable or influential people

Remind or Recall

Interpersonal communication

Interventions to remind consumers of required vaccinations and to recall those who are overdue.

e.g. face to face interactions, one-on-one or in groups

Mail

e.g. postcards, letters, newsletters or email

Phone

e.g. telephone calls, hotlines or SMS

Objects, devices or tools

e.g. vaccination cards, printed mugs, t-shirts, magnets or calendars

Electronic or physical prompts for providers

e.g. reminders targeting healthcare providers during consultations

Enhance Community Ownership

Community input

Interventions to increase community participation and promote interaction between the community and health services. Interventions may build trust among consumers and generate awareness and understanding of vaccination. Interventions of this nature embrace community involvement in planning, programme delivery, research, social mobilisation, advocacy or governance.

e.g. seeking input or feedback related to intervention design, planning or research

Community involvement in vaccination programme delivery

e.g. engagement of members of the community as peer educators, mothers’ support networks, social mobilisers

Engagement of local opinion leaders

e.g. faith leaders, local government officials, respected members of a community

Community coalition

e.g. community health or ward development committees

Partnership building

e.g. vaccine organisers forming partnerships with local businesses, religious centres, community organisations

Teach Skills

Communication training

Interventions focusing on the acquisition of skills related to accessing vaccination services and communicating about vaccination. Such interventions aim to teach parents early parenting skills such as how to find, access and utilise vaccination services. They also include interventions to train parents, communities and health care providers on how to communicate or provide vaccination-related education to others.

e.g. training in communication or education provision skills for community members, volunteers, health professionals, lay health workers or others

Parenting skills programs

e.g. early parenting skills training including how to find, access and utilise vaccination services

Provide Support

Interpersonal communication

Interventions, often tailored or personalised, to assist people in addressing specific challenges to vaccination that arise within their day-to-day lives (e.g. social issues such as disagreement within a family regarding vaccinating or emotional issues such as parental anxiety about vaccination).

In contrast to interventions to inform or educate, interventions to provide support are more focused on addressing specific challenges faced by parents when making vaccination decisions.

e.g. face to face interactions, one-on-one or in groups

Phone

e.g. telephone calls, hotlines or SMS

Web-based

e.g. online forums, social media, websites

Facilitate Decision-Making

Decision aids

Interventions that extend beyond informing or educating by presenting all options related to vaccination decision-making in an unbiased and impartial manner. These interventions should explain the decision to be made, provide detailed, evidence-based information about the risks and benefits of vaccination and should help people consider their personal values and options related to the decision to vaccinate their child.

e.g. written or interactive decision aid tools presenting all options and aspects of vaccination decisions

Decision coaching

e.g. face to face interactions, one on one or in groups, that guide participants to consider all options, personal values and aspects of vaccination decisions

Enable Communication

Interpreters

Interventions that explicitly and purposefully aim to bridge a communication gap/make communication possible with particular people or groups. This may include translation beyond routine practice in a particular setting, such as translation into local or minority languages, adaptation of materials for a low- or no-literacy population, translation into Braille, or the use of interpreters.

e.g. purposeful engagement of people who speak or sign specific languages

Translation beyond routine practice

e.g. translation into local languages, adaptation of materials for a low- or no-literacy population, translation into Braille