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Looking beyond COVID-19 for the best protection for infants and children

Looking beyond COVID-19 for the best protection for infants and children
Written by
Tenney Loweth

Tenney Loweth

Written by
Karley Ura

Karley Ura

Written by
Rebecca Krauss

Rebecca Krauss

In our lifetime, vaccines have never been discussed the way they are now. This National Immunization Awareness Week, amidst the intense activity around COVID-19 vaccinations, we’re highlighting a recent campaign that stressed the importance of protection against other vaccine-preventable diseases, particularly in infants and children.

The NATIONAL Toronto Healthcare team has a depth of experience in the vaccine space, having developed national campaigns for Pfizer Canada to educate audiences that vaccines are not only safe and effective, but an important tool in preventing a number of diseases. Now, with COVID-19 vaccines dominating news around the world, the conversation has an entirely new focus.

The pandemic forced Canadians to rearrange and reprioritize many aspects of day-to-day life. In the months following the onset of COVID-19, it was reported by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) that there had been a decline in the number of children around the world receiving their routine and recommended immunizations. Despite COVID-19 guidelines and prevention measures, the Canadian government advised that regular infant and toddler immunizations remained essential.

Pfizer Canada boasts a strong heritage in the discovery, development and delivery of medicines and vaccines. In the wake of the pandemic and this trend in infant immunizations, Pfizer engaged NATIONAL to remind parents of infants that following routine and recommended immunization schedules in full, and on time, is the best way to help protect their children from vaccine-preventable diseases, and that they could be done safely during the pandemic.

To execute this, NATIONAL developed and managed an influencer program featuring content creators who are also parents of infants themselves. Four influencers were brought on board for the campaign, each adding their own unique narrative to the larger conversation on managing infant health during an incredibly challenging and complex public health crisis. Influencer identification tools were leveraged to ensure talent partners had existing relationships with the parenting community in target markets. To maximize reach and engagement, each piece of in-feed content was amplified through paid promotion.

By the end of the campaign, NATIONAL and Pfizer Canada saw an engagement rate 3.8 times higher than the industry standard, a result of the timeliness and relevancy of the campaign, coupled with the audience’s trust and close relationship with the influencers. By optimizing paid amplification for reach, connection was made with a larger community beyond each influencer’s core followi ng.

Click here for more information on vaccinations during COVID-19.

Reach out to our healthcare communications experts to learn more about how we can help.

——— Karley Ura is a former Director at NATIONAL Public Relations

——— Tenney Loweth is a former Manager, Healthcare at NATIONAL Public Relations

——— Rebecca Krauss is a former Consultant at NATIONAL Public Relations