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Vaccines are widely considered among the most significant medical achievements in global health, saving an estimated 2-3 million lives annually. As the world continues to grapple with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine education and uptake is crucial. To show their support for WHO’s 2021 World Immunization Week, many of our GLOBALHealthPR partners have created an array of communications initiatives, campaigns and expert analyses to drive broad adoption in their countries and around the world.

This page will be updated on an ongoing basis

Argentina, Paradigma PEL Comunicación – Semana de Vacunación de las Américas (Vaccination Week in the Americas)

In support of the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO) annual Vaccination Week in the Americas, Paradigma has launched a social media campaign providing facts and figures in support of vaccine uptake. Check out their Twitter and Instagram feeds for daily posts.

Australia, VIVA!- Lack of access to COVID-19 vaccine threatening global immunity

Last week, VIVA! partnered with the Immunisation Coalition and UNICEF Australia in a bid to unite developing nations through vaccinations. Many of us in high income countries can now access free COVID-19 vaccinations, however, lower income countries are yet to receive a single dose. A global pandemic requires a global response, so in the interest of promoting community immunity, we need to ensure all countries have COVID-19 vaccine access.

Canada, energi PR- Oh Canada. Our Vaccination Response May be Too Little, but Hopefully Not Too Late

When it comes to the best places to live in the world, many Canadian cities rank high on the livability index. Canada’s healthcare system is also praised around the world. Why, then, are citizens struggling to get vaccinated to protect them against COVID-19? PR Co-Founder & CEO Carol Levine provides expert insight into the state of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, diving into the reasoning behind why only 21.84% of Canadians have received one of the two dose vaccines currently approved in the country- Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca and COVESHEILD.

Mexico, PRP- Vacunación contra COVID-19 en México: Análisis de la Conversación Digital (COVID-19 vaccination in Mexico: Digital Analysis) [in Spanish]

Mexican health authorities have encouraged vaccine uptake since the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out plan was announced in Mexico in December 2020. PRP conducted an analysis of approximately 500,000 social posts which revealed that nearly 50% of these users displayed concerns about which biological product was the most effective and transparency surrounding the vaccination process, while 30% felt that the government was not meeting vaccination deadlines and was using the plan as a front for political purposes. However, an estimated 20% of these posts become more positive once a user had received the vaccine or had a close family member who had been vaccinated.

Singapore, Spurwing Communications- Vaccines and Preventable Diseases

For the last two centuries, vaccines have protected us against diseases that threaten lives and limit human potential. Currently, 17 dangerous and deadly diseases are preventable through the help of vaccines, saving the lives of millions globally. While it will be some time before the whole world is immunized against COVID-19, we can support vaccine efforts by building solidarity and trust in vaccinations as a public good that saves lives and protects health – working towards a world where we can be together again.

Spain, Berbés- Las vacunas nos acercan (Vaccines bring us closer) [in Spanish]

Google trends have revealed that vaccines have dominated the public’s interest. In fact, since March 2020, searches for the term “vaccines” has increased by approximately 1000%.

United Kingdom, Aurora- Science makes vaccines possible. We make their use real

There is a lack of trust in vaccines by the public, in part due to myth and misinformation spread in all forms of media. This makes vaccine education more important than ever. Inspired by Pfizer and BioNTech’s recent campaign, #becauseofthis, Aurora asked their colleagues who have received one or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to share what they are most looking forward to being able to do once they are fully vaccinated.

Europe– The Importance of Vaccines: Perspectives From Our Partners in Europe

Our partners in Europe share their insights and perspectives on why vaccines are critical to fighting diseases and why vaccine education can help limit the spread of misinformation.

United States, Spectrum Science- Voyage of a Vaccine

As an agency hyper-focused on science, Spectrum uses their expertise and science-telling capabilities to chronicle the voyage of a vaccine, driving awareness and education around the more nuanced components of the story.

Additional Expert Analysis:

“Achieving Global ImmUNITY,” by Tim Goddard, GLOBALHealthPR at Spectrum

“Vaccination in Latin America: The Delicate Balance Between Informing and Alarming,” by Ma. Eugenia De la Fuente, Paradigma PEL Comunicación

NEW YORK and MILAN, Sept. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — GLOBALHealthPR (GHPR), the world’s largest partnership of independent health and science communications agencies, today announced the addition of Milan-based Connexia as its newest member. The partnership with Connexia reinforces GHPR’s strategic presence across Europe, helping to address demand for deep insights and seamless execution across a critical region in the health and life sciences sector.

Founded in 1997 by Paolo D’Ammassa, Connexia is Italy’s top independent and fully integrated data-driven marketing and communications agency with a strong focus on the healthcare sector. Connexia aims to enhance the way companies connect and engage with customers by incorporating a wealth of branding, innovation and technology expertise and, has become the go-to strategic partner for brands across the globe.

“GLOBALHealthPR is incredibly excited to partner with Connexia, a like-minded agency with a legacy of success and innovation in Italy,” said Tim Goddard, President of GLOBALHealthPR. “Paolo and his team have built a forward-looking, strategy-first structure backed by a fully integrated service offering that is perfectly positioned to respond to the ever-changing needs in the communications and healthcare landscapes.”

Specializing in public relations, branding, digital and social media marketing, web and mobile app development, as well as content marketing and management, Connexia is comprised of 130 highly skilled, insightful professionals who can look at the market and its demands, devise positively disruptive solutions, and rethink how they convey and advertise brands.

“The past decade has seen a tremendous amount of evolution in the healthcare and communications industries, not only in Italy, but also across Europe and the world,” said Paolo D’Ammassa, Chief Executive Officer of Connexia. “Our team has been at the forefront of this innovation, by strategizing and leveraging digital tools to build integrated solutions for our clients that inform, compel, educate and impact key stakeholders. We are thrilled to join this dynamic partnership, which will perfectly combine our local soul with the GLOBALHealthPR network’s international power.”

Italy’s diverse geographic, socio-economic and healthcare landscapes are reflected in its 21 distinct regions. Consequently, the country sees a high degree of local variability in terms of medical care, spending, reimbursement decisions and patient access to innovative therapies. In 2018, Italy overtook Germany as the leading pharmaceutical manufacturer in the European Union, aided by a strong increase in exports as a result of investment, public-private partnerships, expansion of clinical-trials infrastructure and technological advances.

Connexia’s expertise and presence in Italy complements GLOBALHealthPR’s already-strong roster of leading health-focused partner agencies in Europe, led by European Hub partner, Aurora Healthcare Communications. Aurora and ten other exclusive European partner agencies work collaboratively to satisfy both regional and local client needs, utilizing shared resources and exchanging best practices to deliver first-in-class client service throughout the region.

“As a ‘Big-5’ European country with unique healthcare nuances and challenges, Italy is consistently top-of-mind for our global and European regional clients,” said Neil Crump, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder of Aurora. “The addition of Connexia, an agency that is cut from the same cloth as GLOBALHealthPR’s other partner agencies, further strengthens our industry-leading healthcare communications offering in the region.”

About Connexia
Communicate, Connect, Engage: Connexia is a fully-integrated, data-driven, marketing and communications agency based in Milan. For more than 20 years Connexia has been considered the leading PR, digital, social and mobile agency in Italy, thanks to a strategy-first approach that allows us to activate across media types. Through a combination of passion, strong expertise and creative strategic thinking, Connexia partners with top companies across the globe to strengthen their positioning and to bolster their visibility. For more information, visit https://www.connexia.com/company/ or follow them on Twitter.

Arriving in New York City on Sunday, I was immediately taken aback by the sheer size and volume of the place. It is a phenomenal city to behold.

I was met and given a tour of the new office space, in Battery Park, close to the most southernmost tip of Manhattan Island and located on the 26th floor of a skyscraper, by Senior Vice President, GLOBALHealthPR at Spectrum, Tim Goddard.

Tim gave me a tour of the very sleek, modern office, which offers a magnificent view over Battery Park, while also offering the chance to see the Statue of Liberty from the office balcony.

Leaving the office, Tim took me to visit the 9/11 memorial pools, and museum, which, although a somewhat heavy experience, allowed me to get a real insight into how that tragedy has shaped the New York City of today.

On Monday, I spent my first day in New York office, and was privileged to meet with many of the team, as well, as allowing me to participate in the BioPharma Monthly Team meeting, and to discover lots about the different brands and companies that the BioPharma team works with in the USA.

And, later in the day, I had a phone call to discuss the Consumer Science Practice with Senior Vice President, Darby Pearson. Unlike much of the biotech and pharma-specific work done by Spectrum, the Consumer Science Practice focuses on telling the scientific story of certain consumer products.

This was very interesting to discuss with Darby, and, I was able to offer my feedback and insight around some of the campaign ideas and suggestions that her team is working on, which was a real privilege.

Although the day flew in, it was fascinating to see the New York Office as it came to life, and it’s been really nice to get to meet with some of the team. I look forward to what the rest of the week has in store.

Mark is participating in the GLOBALHealthPR Professional Exchange Program representing exclusive Australian partner, VIVA! Communications. The Program aims to enhance the connectivity of GLOBALHealthPR agencies through collaboration, best practice sharing, and insights into the drivers that affect health and science communications in different markets worldwide, and to build professional relationships with other GLOBALHealthPR personnel around the globe.

About Mark: Mark Henderson is Queensland Branch Manager at GHPR Australia partner, VIVA! Communications. To follow his experiences on the GLOBALHealthPR Professional Exchange Program online, use #GHPRConnects to join the conversation and follow all of the 2016 exchange programming.

VIVA! Principal, Kirsten Bruce and Managing Director, Paul Jans, are beginning to pack their bags in preparation for an exciting trip to GLOBALHealthPR’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), in Mumbai, India from February 17 – 19, 2016. GLOBALHealthPR, for which VIVA! Communications represents Australia exclusively, is the largest, independent partnership of health and science communication agencies, worldwide.

This year’s AGM, to be hosted by MediaMedic Communications co-founders, Priti Mohile and Dinesh Chindarkar, is set to attract partners (mainly agency Principals and founders) representing 42 countries from the GLOBALHealthPR partnership worldwide (including the Americas, Europe and APAC).

Themed ‘Be the Change, Chart our Future,’ the 15^th GLOBALHealthPR AGM will be staged at St Pauls Institute of Communication Education, Mumbai.

While not only preparing for her first trip to India, including undergoing a course of vaccinations, Kirsten is also gearing up to present the outcomes of VIVA!s local and international award-winning, patient advocacy communications campaign, Helping to #saveaHUSlives at DigiSights – MediaMedic’s annual digital seminar for the Indian pharmaceutical industry, scheduled for one day prior to the AGM.

Meanwhile, Paul, who is well acquainted with the wonders of India (this will be his 21^st trip to the country, albeit the last was in 2004), is thrilled to be immersing himself back into the Indian culture, and to be participating in a robust and productive AGM, sharing IP and best practice with his fellow partners from around the world.

“This will be the sixth GLOBALHealthPR AGM that I’ve attended. I’ve been to Washington, Sao Paolo, Lisbon, London, and also hosted an AGM with my VIVA! colleagues in Sydney in 2014. Given the recent, significant growth and global account wins that GLOBALHealthPR has witnessed, I look forward to teaming with our partners at this year’s AGM, sharing best practice, and to developing growth strategies for 2016 and beyond,” said Paul.

We wish Kirsten and Paul a safe trip to Mumbai and look forward to sharing various highlights of this year’s GLOBALHealthPR AGM with you.

This blog post comes to you from our Australian partners, VIVA! Communications