The COVID-19 Vaccine COMMUNICATION HANDBOOK

The COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook offers evidence-based strategies to increase vaccine uptake and counter misinformation. It emphasizes the role of healthcare providers as trusted influencers, advocating for an 'active listening' approach over directive education. The guide details techniques for 'prebunking' (inoculation) against common reasoning flaws—categorized by the FLICC framework—and provides a structured method for debunking existing myths. It also highlights the importance of community engagement and the use of 'nudges' to reduce the spread of the 'infodemic' on social media.

• Healthcare professionals are the most influential figures in vaccination decisions, and a strong, presumptive recommendation (assuming the person is willing) is more effective at increasing uptake than hesitant language.
• When patients express vaccine hesitancy, an 'active listening' approach—using open-ended questions, reflection, and the Elicit–Share–Elicit method—is more effective than a traditional directive approach based on argumentation.
• To prevent the spread of misinformation, the guide recommends 'prebunking' or inoculation, which involves warning people they may be misled and explaining the manipulative argumentation techniques used by science deniers.
• The FLICC framework identifies five common techniques used in science denial: Fake Experts, Logical Fallacies, Impossible Expectations, Cherry Picking, and Conspiracy Theories.
• Effective debunking of existing misinformation requires a specific structure: leading with a factual alternative, repeating the myth only once, explaining the fallacy in detail, and reinforcing the fact multiple times.
• The document warns against 'false balance' in science reporting, where journalists present two opposing views as equally valid despite a strong scientific consensus, which can erode public support for factual positions.
• To 'flatten the curve' of the infodemic, the guide suggests using 'nudges,' such as prompting social media users to consider accuracy before sharing content, to increase the quality of shared information.

APA

Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., Schmid, P., Holford, D. L., Finn, A., Leask, J., Thomson, A., Lombardi, D., Al-Rawi, A. K., Amazeen, M. A., Anderson, E. C., Armaos, K. D., Betsch, C., Bruns, H. H. B., Ecker, U. K. H., Gavaruzzi, T., Hahn, U., Herzog, S., Juanchich, M., ... Vraga, E. K. (2021). The COVID-19 Vaccine COMMUNICATION HANDBOOK. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-COVID-19-Vaccine-Communication-Handbook.pdf

Chicago

Lewandowsky, Stephan, John Cook, Philipp Schmid, Dawn L. Holford, Adam Finn, Julie Leask, Angus Thomson, et al. The COVID-19 Vaccine COMMUNICATION HANDBOOK. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2021. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-COVID-19-Vaccine-Communication-Handbook.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lewandowsky |first1=Stephan |last2=Cook |first2=John |last3=Schmid |first3=Philipp |last4=Holford |first4=Dawn L. |last5=Finn |first5=Adam |last6=Leask |first6=Julie |last7=Thomson |first7=Angus |last8=Lombardi |first8=Doug |last9=Al-Rawi |first9=Ahmed K. |display-authors=etal |title=The COVID-19 Vaccine COMMUNICATION HANDBOOK |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=2021 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-COVID-19-Vaccine-Communication-Handbook.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lewandowsky2021covid19, author = {Lewandowsky, Stephan and Cook, John and Schmid, Philipp and Holford, Dawn L. and Finn, Adam and Leask, Julie and Thomson, Angus and Lombardi, Doug and Al-Rawi, Ahmed K. and Amazeen, Michelle A. and Anderson, Emma C. and Armaos, Konstantinos D. and Betsch, Cornelia and Bruns, Hendrik H. B. and Ecker, Ullrich K. H. and Gavaruzzi, Teresa and Hahn, Ulrike and Herzog, Stefan and Juanchich, Marie and Kendeou, Panayiota and Newman, Eryn J. and Pennycook, Gordon and Rapp, David N. and Sah, Sunita and Sinatra, Gale M. and Tapper, Katy and Vraga, Emily K.}, title = {{The COVID-19 Vaccine COMMUNICATION HANDBOOK}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2021}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-COVID-19-Vaccine-Communication-Handbook.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }