Thread by @elleprovocateur

New important thread.

Explored: Rockefeller communique on #contacttracing, Verified (UN) guide on #vaccine #communications, insights via #Vaccine Confidence Project, & a Behavioral Insights report. Today> special report from Oct 15 2020 meeting, #WHO, Technical Advisory Group.

"On 15 Oct 2020, the WHO Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Behavioural Insights & Sciences for Health held a special meeting w/ the WHO Department of Immunization, Vaccines & Biologicals to discuss behavioural considerations in relation to COVID-19 #vaccine #acceptance & uptake."

The report was developed by members of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Behav. Insights & Sciences for Health, chaired by Cass Sunstein, largely credited w/ developing/popularizing notion of "nudges" as policy tools.

Technical Advisory Group members:

who.int/our-work/scien…

Nudge theory: "concept in behavioral econ., political theory, & the broader behav. sciences purporting positive reinforce., defaults, indirect suggestions, [] still allowing freedom of choice, [] that can influence behavior & decision making, esp. aimed at issues of #compliance."

"The discussion focused on a series of key questions around achieving high & equitable uptake of vaccines through evidence-based & behaviourally informed strategies...The review process was finalized on 15 November 2020."

Sunstein tags #WHO, #BIT & 7 others:

Pavan Mamidi: Leads #India's top behavioural research & advisory centre, Centre for Social & Behavior Change, arm of Ashoka Univ.

"Funded generously" by #Gates Foundation, CSBC is also actively engaged in working w/ various govt's in India setting up behavioural & nudge units.

"Meet Brian Deese, #Biden's pick to lead the National Economic Council, who has worked for both the Obama admin. & #BlackRock... some progressives have expressed concerns about Deese's current role at BlackRock, the world's largest #investment manager" [Business Insider]

Gene Sperling: national economic advisor to Presidents Obama & Clinton; founder & Director of the Center for Universal Education at the #Council on #Foreign #Relations. #Biden economic adviser.

#behaviouralscience #VaccineUptake

live.worldbank.org/experts/gene-b…

Liam Delaney: Head of Department for Psychological & Behavioural Science at #LSE.

Michael Ryan: w/ #WHO since 1996. Exec. Dir. WHO Health Emergencies Programme; former Assistant Director-Gen. for Emerg. Preparedness & Response in #WHO's Health Emergencies Programme (2017-2019).

#Gates Foundation, Aug 13, 2019: "Cass Sunstein talks about the benefits of behavioral economics & how #India can achieve greater public policy outcomes through nudge units."

#India & #Africa are prime targets for SDGs which must be understood/recognized as #emergingmarkets.

Over & over, in this consolidation of power happening in real time, are the fingerprint$ of #Gates. The Mind, Behavior, & Development Unit (eMBeD),is the World Bank's behavioral sciences team. It works closely w/ the Bill & Melinda Gates Found. & The Behavioural Insights Team.

Behavioural drivers: "...efforts have resulted in a better understanding of the barriers & enablers to vaccination – especially, but not only, for #child vaccination. Research efforts have also generated potentially effective strategies to improve vaccine #acceptance & uptake..."

"While evidence on promoting vaccination in general is useful in the context of the current pandemic, the #acceptance & #uptake of #COVID19 #vaccines present an #unprecedented challenge." [p. 2]

THIS> "In addition to the sheer magnitude of the coming vaccination effort, the vaccines will be new & are #likely to be only #partially effective for a yet #unknown period of time. There may be so-called #adverse #events rightly or incorrectly attributed to the new vaccines,..."

"...vaccines are likely to be prioritized for #healthworkers
[]& #older #adults based on the framework developed by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on #Immunization" [p 2]

#UNICEF, secretariat of #GAVI & #WHO participate as observers in #SAGE meetings/deliberations.

"...goal is uptake of #COVID19 vaccine by the general population, achieving that #goal will depend on the behaviours of other "actors" in the system...

& those tasked w/ maximizing uptake using strategies such as #persuasion & the use of #trusted #endorsers (or "#validators")."

Recognize those that can instill uptake via #persuasion & #influence: politicians, community & #religious leaders, health workers, #NGOs, #media & digital platforms.

Reduce barriers.

THIS>>>

On reducing barriers, the last factor listed on p. 3 is key:

"Health regulations or #mandates: Is #vaccination #mandatory to engage in certain activities, such as #employment, #education, #travelling abroad or enrolling in day care?"

#Coercion as weapon for #compliance

"...if the default in #schools is to #vaccinate all #students, w/ the provision of allowing those who object to opt out, then vaccination rates will likely be higher than if the default is to provide vaccination only to those who opt in."

"...if #most #people in a community support vaccination, they will give a positive signal to others who might otherwise be reluctant..." [p 4]

The Asch experiments demonstrated the power of #conformity (which can be, & is, used as a weapon against us)

>>"During a pandemic in which people may be confined [], #perceptions of other people’s behaviours ([]mask wearing & physical distancing) are more likely to be inferred from #mainstream & #socialmedia & via information online, & less likely to result from direct interactions."<<

"It is essential to #educate the #media on the importance of providing context when reporting on anti-vaccine #sentiment, to make sure that people do not form an erroneous impression that this is the dominant viewpoint." [p 5]

This screenshot is from the #UN Verified guide.

"...encouragement & #social #pressure from people that an individual respects and trusts have been found to increase vaccine uptake... #Targeting #people who are #centrally located in the #network [] can lead to greater impact of behaviour change efforts."

"Strategies to #harness social influences"

"Making vaccine uptake “visible” to others... enabling ways for people to #signal that they have received the vaccine, either on #socialmedia, in news #media or in person, can contribute to making the #socialnorm more salient." [p 5]

New & #emergingmarkets. #Biotech
"New & emerging norms"

"Communication efforts to highlight the developm. of new norms are especially relevant given that the #COVID19 #vaccine will be #targeting #new #groups where vaccination may not be the common or the expected behaviour."

"...#motivational #interviewing, a collaborative method of interaction aimed at exploring people’s real reasons for hesitancy & strengthening their own #motivation for change, can #facilitate #vaccination..."

"Recommendations from providers have [] shown to be more effective when the opportunity to get vaccinated is presented as an #expectation (the default) rather than an option..."

#Endorsement of a [] #vaccine by prominent #scientists has also been found to increase #trust..."

"If people perceive that they are at low risk of contracting #COVID19, or that the consequences of becoming infected will not be severe, they will be less willing to get vaccinated."

Thus, the incessant #hysteria & #fear instilled by #media - will not be relenting anytime soon.

The nerve of thinking people:

"Some people may try to compare the #risk of getting infected with that of taking a new vaccine, and determine that between the two, the #risk of #COVID19 is #lower."

[p 6] [Good rule: Think for yourself, act for others.]

"Judging events or situations to be risky can also lead to fear, worry & #anticipated #regret, all of which have been shown to be associated w/ the intention to #accept the offer of vaccination"

"anticipated regret" - "shows promise as predictor of intentions & behaviour"

To obtain desired outcome, they must control the #narrative

"...confidence may be lowered by scepticism about the profit motives... Developing trusted sources, factchecking & responding to disinfo. through dedicated dashboards are some of the strategies [] to manage infodemics"

>#NewNormal: "Vaccine acceptance & uptake may also be undermined by COVID-19 #vaccines being not fully effective, meaning that people will have to continue to engage in preventive behaviour (e.g. #maskwearing and physical #distancing) even if and after they have been vaccinated."

"It is therefore important to focus on building trust in #COVID19 vaccines before people form an opinion against them. This should involve using trusted messengers..."

"Adverse #events are often #inevitable when large numbers of people get vaccinated in a short period of time.."

"Leveraging anticipated regret in communications:

#Anticipated #regret has been shown to be a strong predictor of vaccination, and there is #potential #promise in evoking it to encourage vaccination."

#Emotion #Guilt #Parenting

"putting emphasis on the economic benefits, such as being able to #stay in the #workforce and #provide for one’s #family, might also encourage vaccination." [p 8]

#Coercion #Duress

Visual narrations "that captures highlights of the meeting on 15 Oct 2020, during which the TAG on #Behavioural Insights & #Sciences for Health discussed behavioural considerations in relation to COVID-19 #vaccine #acceptance & #uptake."

Report: apps.who.int/iris/bitstream…