Building Public Trust in COVID-19 Vaccines

Expert: Devon Greyson, expert on vaccine communication and an assistant professor of communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Topic: The hurdles that need to be cleared to build public trust in COVID-19 vaccines, and steps local, state and federal governments must take to communicate the need for vaccination

Available: Via phone, email and video conferencing

Devon Greyson, an expert on vaccine communication and an assistant professor of communication at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is available to comment on how governments can build Americans’ trust to get vaccinated now that early COVID-19 vaccine data looks promising.

Greyson has extensively studied the topic of vaccine hesitancy and confidence, and her current work continues to explore the ways people and health systems negotiate contested knowledge in everyday life, and how information could be used more effectively to promote the health of populations.

The following quotes from Greyson may be used with attribution:

“Vaccine acceptance in the United States has never been more politicized, and the health communication ecosystem has become polluted with misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19 and about vaccines. This makes for a very challenging environment to try to build trust in a potential vaccine.”

“Communities that have been alienated from public health, medicine and the government should be engaged in vaccine communication and distribution planning as soon as possible. Bringing those who lack trust to the table, hearing and addressing their concerns and cultivating trusted intermediaries to their communities will be important. Otherwise, we may lack sufficient uptake of a vaccine to stop this pandemic.”

More information about Greyson, including additional links to her teachings and publications, can be found at https://www.umass.edu/communication/node/1783 and www.DevonGreyson.com. Contact Greyson directly via ExpertFile to request further comment regarding the issues surrounding vaccine communication.