Journal of Health Communication

Advancing Research in Immunization Services: Communication Strategies, Innovation, and Equity for Vaccine Confidence and Uptake

The Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives invites submissions for a special issue/supplement focused on advancing research in immunization services–with particular attention to communication strategies, innovations, and equity-centered approaches to improving vaccine confidence and uptake across diverse communities.

Despite the proven effectiveness of vaccines, significant disparities in immunization rates persist across geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic lines. Communities facing barriers to healthcare access continue to experience lower vaccination rates and higher vulnerability to vaccine-preventable diseases. At the same time, vaccine hesitancy, misleading information, distrust, and structural inequities, presents an ongoing challenge to achieving and sustaining adequate vaccine coverage.

Addressing these challenges requires research focused on improving vaccination rates, developing effective promotion strategies for recent times and future efforts, and understanding the motivations behind vaccine hesitancy and refusal. This supplement builds on the work of the Advancing Research in Immunization Services (ARISe) Network– a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-supported initiative established in 2024–and welcomes contributions from the broader research community working at the intersection of health communication, public health practice, and immunization services.

The ARISe Network, coordinated through the CUNY School of Public Health & Health Policy in collaboration with the NYU–CUNY Prevention Research Center, brings together Prevention Research Centers, academic partners, and public health professionals to conduct collaborative research on immunization services. Network activities– spanning school-based interventions, community-led programs, digital communication strategies, and expansion of vaccination delivery sites—are designed to strengthen immunization infrastructure and generate actionable evidence to improve vaccine access.

The goal of this supplement is to consolidate and advance scholarship on communication strategies, service delivery innovations, and equity-centered approaches that can improve vaccine confidence and uptake, particularly beyond COVID-19.

Specifically, the supplement seeks to:

• Advance evidence on effective communication strategies for building vaccine confidence and addressing vaccine hesitancy among diverse populations;
• Examine the behavioral, social, and structural factors that shape vaccination decisions;
• Highlight innovative and scalable approaches to improving vaccination rates across community, clinical, and school-based settings;
• Bridge research and practice through implementation studies and community-engaged research that generate actionable guidance; and
• Contribute to a growing evidence base that can inform immunization programs and policy in the United States.

Submission Categories

Research Articles (Primary Focus)

Traditional peer-reviewed research papers examining health communication training, workforce development, and capacity building.

• Length: 5,000 words (inclusive of 200-word abstract, exclusive of references, tables, figures, and notes).
• Methodology: All methodological approaches welcomed, provided they are clearly described to facilitate understanding and replication.

Thematic Areas

We invite contributions addressing one or more of the following interconnected themes:

1. Immunization Communication and Vaccine Confidence
2. Vaccination Decision-Making: Behavioral and Social Determinants
3. Equity-Centered Approaches to Immunization Services
4. School- and Community-Based Vaccination Strategies
5. Digital and Social Media Interventions