The ability to effectively communicate to a mass audience is just as vital for the survival of the health industry as it is the advertising/marketing/PR industry– if not more, when considering the importance of spreading awareness about certain diseases and health trends. There is an obvious knowledge gap between scientists and the general public, yet scientists have not proven themselves to be especially skillful in their abilities to communicate. Communication experts, therefore, play a pivotal role in effectively disseminating health-related information (ie. news about coronavirus and the vaccine).
Health communication experts have had a tremendous impact on the COVID-19 vaccine success rate, especially when considering the United State’s controversial narrative about the pandemic as a whole. A vaccine is only effective if people take it, and a person’s confidence in the vaccine depends on his or her understanding/education about the matter, and trust for the distributors.
Certain marketing decisions can dictate the success–or failure– of a vaccine due to the importance of gaining public trust. Big pharmaceutical companies are faced with having to master gaining trust, especially in the era of COVID, in order to effectively persuade the public to get vaccinated. As vaccine rates continue to surge throughout the US, clearly something is working in their favor. A big pharma company’s ability to gain trust now, furthermore, has the potential to shape future trust-building campaigns.