nOPV2 Introduction: Crisis Communications Planning Toolkit

"When many potential issues are anticipated, it is important to plan for how they could work together to culminate into a crisis."

This toolkit is designed as a practical planning tool to help communications teams in novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) rollout countries anticipate, assess, and respond to crises that could arise as part of the rollout of the vaccine. 

As explained by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), "To better address the risk of type 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2), GPEI partners are working closely with countries to deploy an additional innovative tool - novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2). The vaccine is a modified version of type 2 monovalent OPV (mOPV2). Clinical trials have shown that nOPV2 provides comparable protection against poliovirus while being more genetically stable and less likely to be associated with the emergence of cVDPV2 in low immunity settings. This means that nOPV2 has the potential to be a significant new tool to help stop outbreaks in a more sustainable way."

This toolkit is designed to respond to crises that could arise as part of the rollout of nOPV2, which could include: 
 

• Widespread misinformation;
• Vaccine refusals;
• Loss of trust in nOPV2, and polio vaccination overall;
• Harassment of healthcare workers;
• Outbreaks not controlled; and
• Politicisation of the problem, where a polio programme becomes a hostage of political efforts. 
   

These crises can occur as a culmination of specific, separate issues that, when taken together, can limit the ability to achieve the overall objective. In the case of rolling out nOPV2, the overall objective is to vaccinate children with nOPV2.

The contents of the toolkit are as follows: 
 

• nOPV2 Crisis Communications: Getting Started - This section looks at what constitutes a crisis and how to anticipate and map potential crises that could occur.
• Crisis Communications Lifecycle - This section explains the crisis communication lifecycle, which consists of Planning and Preparation, Crisis Identification, Crisis Management, and Recovery and Evaluation.
• Crisis Communications Planning and Preparation - This chapter offers guidance on: anticipating crises; setting up a crisis response team; mapping audience, communication channels, and materials for potential crises; and developing a list of stakeholders to tap into to share accurate messages about nOPV2 and mitigate crises.
• Crisis Identification and Response - This section offers assessment worksheets for four potential crises: loss of trust in the vaccine campaign; increase in vaccine refusals; harassment of health workers; and negative local/regional media (published or pending). It also outlines five indicators that determine the level of response protocol best suited to diffuse a crisis.
• Evaluation Assessment - This section offers guidance on conducting ongoing communications assessments in order to be better prepared for crisis management in the future.
• Appendix A: Glossary
• Appendix B: Example Crisis Situation (to assist with a simulation exercise)