Flu Facts: Effective Outreach Strategies to Vulnerable Populations During a Public Health Emergency in Massachusetts

Background: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) “Flu Facts: What You Need to Know" statewide educational campaign was originally created in 2006 to inform Commonwealth residents about the three different types of flu: seasonal flu, avian or bird flu, and pandemic flu. In 2009, MDPH redesigned the campaign in order to address the H1N1 (swine) flu outbreak.

Program background: The revised Flu Facts campaign was designed to educate Massachusetts residents on the importance and safety of the H1N1 vaccine as well as encourage good health hygiene. This included coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your inner elbow instead of into your hand, washing hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after coughing or sneezing, and staying home when you are sick. One of the major components of the revised campaign was incorporating targeted and effective outreach to vulnerable populations across the Commonwealth. Historically, these populations have had low vaccination rates as well as higher disease and mortality rates nationwide.  To develop and successfully implement this campaign, MDPH used a multi-disciplinary approach involving several MDPH bureaus and offices that already had strong ties with vulnerable communities across the state. By leveraging these existing relationships MDPH was able to ensure that meaningful products were developed and widely distributed. All Flu Facts campaign materials were translated into as many as fifteen languages. This included plain language booklets, brochures, wallet cards, print ads and web ads. MDPH partnered with community groups across that state that worked with non-English speaking residents in order to ensure that they were widely and effectively disseminated to the appropriate audiences. The majority of materials, as well as order forms for all of the materials, were posted on the DPH website. Multiple TV and radio commercials were filmed in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Haitian Creole. We selected local community leaders as spokespeople with the understanding that they would be recognized and respected by the target audiences. This included African American and Hispanic mothers and members of the African-American faith-based community. The commercials addressed some of the most common barriers to getting vaccinated including price, safety concerns and convenience. In order to reach a wider and more diverse audience, we expanded our existing partnerships with ethnic media outlets across the state. Moreover, in addition to using these traditional TV and radio distribution channels, we aired the commercials in unconventional venues such as movie theaters and supermarket check-out lines. Finally, MDPH relied heavily on social media tools to reach the vulnerable populations. The Department of Public Health blogged regularly in Spanish and Portuguese and podcasts on breaking topics were recorded in Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese and shared with non-English media outlets as well as posted on the DPH website.

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