Embedding Crisis Communication Training Within Health Systems: Strengthening Vaccine Demand and Institutional Resilience in India’s HPV vaccine Rollout
1
Public Health, Girl Effect, New Delhi, India
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1816
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
As India prepares for the national roll-out of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, questions from parents and media about fertility, consent, and adolescent health—often shaped by social and digital media—have highlighted the need to safeguard confidence and steady demand. In this context, crisis communication training is positioned as part of routine system preparedness rather than a stand-alone response, supporting equity, continuity, and long-term confidence in public health services.
METHODS:
Girl Effect India (GEI), working with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), rolled out a Crisis Communication–Response framework across 36 states and union territories, reaching more than 1,400 national, state, and district immunization officials. The training focused on practical tools for tracking community and media concerns, setting clear escalation routes, and forming Rapid Response Teams within routine immunization work. Sessions also explored how media narratives develop, how official responses shape public understanding, and how timely, clear communication can influence trust and vaccine demand. Through simulations, message-building sessions,holding statement exercises, participants practiced communication that was sensitive to local contexts.
RESULTS:
The majority of participants had little prior experience with formal communication or media involvement and came from technical and medical roles. Officials reported greater confidence in aligning technical guidance with messages for communities, along with a clearer understanding of how frontline, block, and district teams can work together. Through the use of standardized tools during training exercises, teams learned how clear roles and documentation can support faster, coordinated responses, while also practicing how to respond to crises with empathy, clear facts, and scientifically grounded information.
CONCLUSIONS:
By making trust-building, transparency, and community engagement part of routine practice, this approach offers a practical and adaptable model for low- and middle-income countries seeking to strengthen immunization systems and sustain public confidence during sensitive vaccine introductions.
As India prepares for the national roll-out of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, questions from parents and media about fertility, consent, and adolescent health—often shaped by social and digital media—have highlighted the need to safeguard confidence and steady demand. In this context, crisis communication training is positioned as part of routine system preparedness rather than a stand-alone response, supporting equity, continuity, and long-term confidence in public health services.
METHODS:
Girl Effect India (GEI), working with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), rolled out a Crisis Communication–Response framework across 36 states and union territories, reaching more than 1,400 national, state, and district immunization officials. The training focused on practical tools for tracking community and media concerns, setting clear escalation routes, and forming Rapid Response Teams within routine immunization work. Sessions also explored how media narratives develop, how official responses shape public understanding, and how timely, clear communication can influence trust and vaccine demand. Through simulations, message-building sessions,holding statement exercises, participants practiced communication that was sensitive to local contexts.
RESULTS:
The majority of participants had little prior experience with formal communication or media involvement and came from technical and medical roles. Officials reported greater confidence in aligning technical guidance with messages for communities, along with a clearer understanding of how frontline, block, and district teams can work together. Through the use of standardized tools during training exercises, teams learned how clear roles and documentation can support faster, coordinated responses, while also practicing how to respond to crises with empathy, clear facts, and scientifically grounded information.
CONCLUSIONS:
By making trust-building, transparency, and community engagement part of routine practice, this approach offers a practical and adaptable model for low- and middle-income countries seeking to strengthen immunization systems and sustain public confidence during sensitive vaccine introductions.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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