Harnessing AI to Strengthen Vaccination Communication

Vaccination is one of the greatest achievements in public health, saving millions of lives by reducing mortality, improving quality of life, and even eradicating deadly diseases. However, vaccine hesitancy—the delay or refusal of vaccines despite their availability—has become a serious global challenge. Recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top threats to public health, vaccine hesitancy grew even more during the COVID-19 pandemic, showing how urgently better communication strategies are needed. Understanding why people hesitate to get vaccinated, finding ways to address their concerns, and training healthcare professionals to communicate more effectively about vaccines has never been more important.

The project “Synthetic Vaccine Hesitancy to Revolutionize Intervention Testing and Education in Vaccination Communication” led by Prof. Dr. Robert Böhm (University of Vienna, Psychology) and Prof. Dr. Ursula Wiedermann-Schmidt (Medical University of Vienna, Vaccinology and Infectious Diseases) utilizes the latest advancements in generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) to develop new solutions to this problem. The research team will first create a population of synthetic AI “patients” that mimic the beliefs, concerns, and behaviors of real vaccine-hesitant individuals. These AI patients will help researchers test new behavioral and communication strategies to reduce hesitancy. The researchers will then build a hands-on training program where healthcare professionals can practice communicating with these synthetic patients, allowing them to strengthen their skills in a realistic and interactive way.

Each stage of the project will be rigorously tested through comprehensive randomized-controlled trials to ensure that the tools and strategies are effective. By applying cutting-edge AI technology, this project could revolutionize how healthcare professionals are trained and how vaccine hesitancy is addressed—ultimately helping to increase vaccine uptake and improve public health.