Professor Heidi Larson, co-founder of The Global Listening Project: "The only way you're going to be relevant is if you listen."

The CommonHealth

As World Immunization Week gets underway, Professor Heidi Larson, anthropologist, founder of the Vaccine Confidence Project, and co-founder of The Global Listening Project, discusses the importance of closing the gaps in routine immunization coverage that have widened during the Covid-19 pandemic; describes why trust in health care providers has declined as beliefs about health and scientific expertise have become more polarized; and explains that in order to reach people with information that can help them respond effectively to crises, whether pandemics, climate change, or other emergency situations, it's important to really listen to people's concerns and articulate practical solutions that directly respond to people's needs.