Vaccines are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. The factors driving the decision to vaccinate are complex and stem from historical, political and socio-cultural influences. Public health and vaccine policies, health professionals, communications and media are also key influencers in this individual decision-making process. As researchers, we recognise the need to engage with the public and understand its perception about maternal and neonatal vaccination, and vaccine research as a whole.

In their public engagement project 'Capturing and exchanging multi-national perceptions of maternal and neonatal immunisation,' Marie Yang from the University of Liverpool and her team collaborated with their partners at the Chulalongkorn University and the Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Programme. They recruited participants from three cities from different continents, i.e., Liverpool (UK), Blantyre (Malawi) and Bangkok (Thailand), and asked them, e.g., what a vaccine is, whether vaccines are safe, what informs their decision to vaccinate or what their opinions are on the newly introduced COVID-19 vaccines. Their responses were captured through pictures and videos and collated into a short film.

The short film portrays the beliefs and concerns of parents, grandparents, and professionals about vaccines, and also their conflicting journeys through social media and vaccine information material, and their understanding of risk-benefit ratios. The short film also informs on people's health literacy in general. 

Marie Yang and her colleagues hope that the short film will be used as a tool to engage communities around the world to start their own debate, overcome misinformation and break down the barriers to vaccine acceptance. They are keen to pursue this project through public outreach activities that will help further empower the public and build trust in maternal and neonatal vaccination, and vaccine research.