Health campaigns aimed at making more people aware of the repercussions of non-vaccination may be futile, according to a new analysis. Graham Dixon, author of the study and associate professor at Washington State University, believes that disseminating information that appeal to the emotions may not have a sweeping impact on the public’s health views. Using scare tactics to alarm individuals, especially groups with existing anti-vaccine standpoint may instead make them less interested in knowing more about the importance of vaccination.

The recent multi-state resurgence of measles in the United States prompted health specialists to launch public information campaigns emphasising the increasing risk of vaccine-preventable diseases in unvaccinated population. At least 170 measles cases have been reported in 17 states as of March 3, 2015. The number of cases in 2014 reached 644, making 2014 the worst year for measles since the last decade. Health authorities have advised the unvaccinated public to avoid visiting crowded places frequented by international visitors. They have also intensified immunisation campaigns.

Some health advisories included an image of a child hospitalised with a vaccine-preventable disease. This may be an effective approach to convey the message to some people, but may not as be persuasive for others with existing biases on the particular health concern. Dixon said that people’s health beliefs may sometimes influence their response to such information. Instead of persuading them to realise the need for vaccination, emotional advisories may cause vaccine sceptics to be firm with their existing views.

Dixon thinks that instead of using this approach, health specialists should root out and resolve the reasons for these anti-vaccine views. Efforts that aim to improve doctor-patient relations and to increase public trust in modern medicine are some of his recommendations. Related research on vaccine hesitancy have also led to exploring other approaches on how to debunk misconceptions on the safety of immunisations. One study, which dealt with people’s views on the seasonal flu vaccine, states that the use of corrective information in reducing wrong beliefs about vaccinations may not as well be that effective in promoting immunisation. Correcting misperceptions may instead generate counterproductive outcomes.

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