Dr. Katharine Head was recently asked to serve as an expert contributor to the National Communication Association podcast “Communication Matters: The NCA Podcast.” The episode is called “Public Health Communication, Vaccine Rollouts, and More.” In this episode, we reflect on how public health communication about COVID-19 has changed one year into the pandemic, and we offer insight about how communication research and strategies can offer valuable contributions for ensuring effective and equitable strategies for ensuring high vaccine uptake. We also address vaccine mis/disinformation and the role of trusted sources of information.
Dr. Head’s research focuses on health and medical communication, and much of her scholarship has focused on how individuals communicate about vaccines and cancer screenings in the public and clinical contexts, and how we can utilize communication theory and evidence to increase uptake of these behaviors. She currently serves as chair of the advisory committee for the Indiana Immunization Coalition and is a member of the steering committee for the Health Communication Working Group at the American Public Health Association.
Katharine Head is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies as well as affiliate faculty with the Fairbanks Center for Medical Ethics and adjunct faculty in the Medical Humanities and Health Studies Program, IU School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis