Anita Ghafoor-Butt
Communications Lead, National Immunisation Office
Clear and accessible health information has never been more important, particularly as people navigate a growing range of digital sources when making decisions about their health.
People have access to more health information than ever before. Search engines, social media and, increasingly, artificial intelligence can provide answers within seconds.
A changing information landscape
But more information does not necessarily mean better information. People may encounter accurate advice alongside outdated, misleading or false content, making it increasingly difficult to know which sources to trust.
For immunisation programmes, this matters. People need information that is not only clinically accurate, but clear enough to understand and use when making decisions about their own health or their child’s health.
Making information easier to understand
The HSE National Immunisation Office (NIO) Communications Strategy 2024-2027 recognises this changing environment. Our approach is to provide timely, accurate and evidence-based information through trusted HSE channels, while making that information as accessible as possible.
That means leading with simple and consistent messages and using Plain English principles when developing public information. We are also developing easy-to-read resources so that complex clinical information can be understood by as many people as possible.
People need information that is not only clinically accurate,
but clear enough to understand and use when making decision
This is particularly important in immunisation, where unfamiliar medical terminology can make already difficult decisions feel more complicated.
Reaching different communities
Accessibility also means recognising that the same communication will not work for everyone.
The NIO is developing information in additional community languages and working with community organisations to understand how those resources will be used. Translation alone is not enough. Information needs to be culturally appropriate, available in the right format and delivered through channels that people know and trust.
Healthcare professionals also remain central to this approach as trusted sources of information for patients and communities.
Trust matters
AI will continue to change the way health information is created and accessed. Public health communications need to evolve alongside it. For the NIO, that means continuing to provide a clear route back to credible, evidence-based information: information that is accurate, easy to understand and accessible to the communities we serve.
