Vaccination in the era of misinformation - from complexity to value

During recent 16th EPSA Autumn Assembly in Porec Croatia, our students - “generation Z” could debate the digital transformation of pharma profession and the challenges in promoting knowledge and reliable sources of information over social media. The debate started with background information about manufacturing complexity and explanations regarding technology standing behind production of vaccines. In the second part, students were enrolled in an exceptional fake news online game from Dutch scientists to see how effective they are in tackling medical fake news and misinformation. During the last part of the session, interactive panel session with experts in healthcare policies and immunization programs, as well as industry representatives took place.

We were hosting various experts from governmental bodies such as: Siniša Varga - Member of Croatian Parliament and WHO Consultant for Healthcare, Dr Vladimir Draženović - Director of the WHO Centre for Influenza in Public Health Institute in Croatia and Zvonimir Mlinarić - pharmacy student.

Dr Vladimir Draženović, Director of the WHO Centre for Influenza in Public Health Institute in Croatia agreed to answer a couple of burning questions about the challenges in reaching European goals for vaccination coverage.

EPSA: Many of the anti-vaccination parents are well educated and affluent. Why do you think that there is such fertile ground for anti-vaccination theories?

Dr Vladimir Draženović: In those days, there was a big concern in public because of climate changes as well as pollution in the environment. People are afraid of pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and any kinds of chemicals. And then you have a Vaccine which you apply more than ten times on babies in their first year of age. They cannot manage all this data and this constitutes a very fertile ground for all kinds of misunderstanding.

EPSA: Do you think it’s quite easy for the general society and especially parents to exempt themselves or their children from vaccination? Do you think there should be a policy for not accomplishing a certain minimal set of vaccinations for children in kindergarten?

Dr Vladimir Draženović: First of all, there is a right of a child to health and then there is the right of parents to have free will. And then there is social responsibility for other children who cannot be vaccinated because of real medical conditions. Vaccination is first individual protection but if we don’t think about collective immunity we will become a society of selfish individuals.

EPSA: What can pharmacists do in order to increase trust in vaccination?

Dr Vladimir Draženović: Healthcare Professionals play a central role in Vaccine promotion. The biggest problem however is that many of us truly don’t believe in the idea of vaccination and then we don’t transfer it in the right way to the public.

There is a big role pharmacists play in Vaccine promotion because they are in the front row of the medical system and people have easy access to them. First of all they must start with vaccination against influenza in pharmacies and they will gain public trust in other issues regarding vaccination in general. There is, of course, a need to have appropriate education in studies regarding vaccination.