In a health emergency, governments rely on public trust in their policy, and anticipate its compliance to protect health and save lives. Vaccine hesitancy compromises this process when an emergency involves infections. The prevailing discourse on vaccine hesitancy often describes it as a static phenomenon, ignoring its expanse and complexity, and neglecting the exploration of tools to address it. This article diverges from the conventional perspective by explaining the case of Pakistan and its communication strategy for the COVID-19 vaccine. Decades of polio vaccine hesitancy, rooted in the country’s fight against terrorism, constitute its history. On the other hand, the first-ever launch of typhoid conjugate vaccine involving 35 million kids during 2019–2021 was a success. Against this backdrop, the country considered vaccine hesitancy as a dynamic phenomenon, interwoven with the social ecology and the responsiveness of the healthcare system. Its communication strategy facilitated those willing to receive the vaccine, while being responsive to the information needs of those still in the decision-making process. In the face of both hesitancy and a scarcity of vaccine doses, the country successfully inoculated nearly 70% (160 million) of its population in just over 1 year. People’s perceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine also improved over time. This achievement offers valuable insights and tools for policymakers and strategists focused on the demand side of vaccine programmes. The lessons can significantly contribute to the global discourse on improving vaccine confidence and bolstering global health security. Data are available in a public, open access repository.

中文翻译：

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在脊髓灰质炎流行国家建立对 COVID-19 疫苗的信心：巴基斯坦的战略沟通经验教训

在卫生紧急情况下，政府依靠公众对其政策的信任，并预期其遵守情况以保护健康和拯救生命。当紧急情况涉及感染时，疫苗犹豫会损害这一过程。关于疫苗犹豫的流行言论常常将其描述为一种静态现象，忽视了其广泛性和复杂性，也忽视了解决该问题的工具的探索。本文与传统观点不同，解释了巴基斯坦的案例及其针对 COVID-19 疫苗的传播策略。数十年来对脊髓灰质炎疫苗的犹豫不决源于该国的反恐斗争，这构成了该国的历史。另一方面，2019 年至 2021 年期间首次推出的伤寒结合疫苗获得了成功，涉及 3500 万儿童。在此背景下，该国将疫苗犹豫视为一种动态现象，与社会生态和医疗保健系统的响应能力交织在一起。其沟通策略为那些愿意接受疫苗的人提供了便利，同时响应仍在决策过程中的人的信息需求。面对犹豫不决和疫苗剂量稀缺的情况，该国在短短一年多的时间里成功为近 70%（1.6 亿）人口接种了疫苗。随着时间的推移，人们对 COVID-19 疫苗的看法也有所改善。这一成就为关注疫苗计划需求方面的政策制定者和战略家提供了宝贵的见解和工具。这些经验教训可以极大地促进关于提高疫苗信心和加强全球卫生安全的全球讨论。数据可在公共、开放访问存储库中获取。