Communicating vaccine benefit and risk – lessons from the medical field

The childhood immunisation programme in England aims to achieve and maintain high vaccine coverage so that no child needlessly suffers from a vaccine preventable disease. As part of the programme, parents must have appropriate support from health professionals and have information available to them to make informed decisions about their choices. Even though immunisation is voluntary in England, coverage is generally high. It has been estimated that only 0.33% of parents do not consent to their child being included in a computerised database that schedules immunisation appointments. Parental attitudes, experiences and social grade are influential in determining whether a child receives a vaccine. Personal experience and knowledge of diseases influence parental perceptions about the seriousness of diseases and their likelihood of being affected by it. In societies where immunisation programmes have been successful, the challenge is maintaining high levels of vaccine coverage. In the absence of disease, the threat of that disease rapidly disappears and anxieties about the vaccine's safety may increase. A fall in vaccine coverage can lead to the return of disease as happened in the UK when rates of pertussis immunisation plummeted in the 1970s. Further perceived threats may also affect vaccine uptake, for example, the MMR controversy dating from 1998. The article outlines the MMR debate in the UK, the communication of risk and benefit and the management of information to the public. It will share lessons learned and examine how they might apply to the veterinary programme.