PGP's Vaccine Tracking and Response Program Now Reporting in all 50 States

NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PGP, (The Public Good Projects), a public health nonprofit responsible for some of the nation's most successful health campaigns, announces today its Project VCTR (Vaccine Communication Tracking and Response) program has accomplished nationwide coverage and reporting of vaccine-related misinformation. Launched in June 2019 in partnership with The New York State Health Foundation, VCTR is now available and tracking information in all 50 states, providing reports to health organizations across the country.

At a critical time in our nation regarding vaccine needs, PGP is the only organization in the U.S. that monitors all public vaccine-related communications across multiple media sources 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Project VCTR (pronounced "Vector") is a free resource that applies public health monitoring to determine real-time knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the public related to vaccines across publicly available media data including broadcast television, newspapers and magazines, websites and blogs, online video, and numerous social media sites. This data is organized into themes and topics using a combination of machine learning and natural language processing, supervised by a team of public health practitioners trained in data science. Analyses are provided to health organizations, health educators or members of the press across the country so that more effective communications about vaccines can be created. Project VCTR is also coordinating with the National Governors Association to ensure the information and tools provided are responsive to the needs of state leaders as they design and implement vaccination campaigns in coordination with local partners.

"VCTR functions much like a disease surveillance system, sending out weekly updates on misinformation trends circulating through various media sources. Everybody understands that misinformation is a bad thing, and I think everyone understands that we can no longer argue 'what happens online stays online.' Misinformation has real-world outcomes, like last year's measles outbreaks and a growing number of people unwilling to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it's available," says Dr. Joe Smyser, PhD, MSPH, Chief Executive Officer of PGP. "Through VCTR we help health officials in every state combat localized rumors and trends, ultimately making their population safer and healthier."

Health misinformation has more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven in part by growing opposition to vaccines and scientific expertise. A coordinated anti-vaccination movement has decreased American's belief that parents should vaccinate their children, from 94 percent of Americans in 2001 to 84 percent in 2020.¹  It also contributes to 57 percent of Americans reporting they're unsure about, or completely against, receiving a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.² With 13 million cases of coronavirus in the United States, and at least 260,000 deaths, public trust in a vaccine is critical.

"Our organization supports immunization program managers across the country. As a national organization, it can be incredibly difficult to track the conversations, legislation, and other activities happening among vaccine hesitant groups all around the country. I rely on Project VCTR to offer insights into these activities by region so that we can share these articles with our members. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and flu season, our small team has been stretched and Project VCTR allows us to gain invaluable information to fight vaccine hesitancy that we wouldn't otherwise have the time or resources to access," said Jasmine Berry, Association of Immunization Managers. 

About The Public Good Projects

PGP (The Public Good Projects) is a public health nonprofit. PGP's mission is to apply best evidence and practices from the public and private sectors to create bold projects for health. PGP's programs and initiatives are evidence-based, employ a collective impact model, and are scientifically evaluated. To learn more, visit: https://publicgoodprojects.org/

REFERENCES:

1. GALLUP (2020, January). Fewer in U.S. Continue to See Vaccines as Important. https://news.gallup.com/poll/276929/fewer-continue-vaccines-important.aspx  
2. The Washington Post (2020, June). 7 in 10 Americans would be likely to get a coronavirus vaccine, Post-ABC poll finds. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/7-in-10-americans-would-be-likely-to-get-a-coronavirus-vaccine-a-post-abc-poll-finds/2020/06/01/4d1f8f68-a429-11ea-bb20-ebf0921f3bbd_story.html

SOURCE The Public Good Projects