Vaccine hesitancy and public confidence in immunisation will be the subject of a public policy discussion this Wednesday at an event hosted by The University of Western Australia’s Public Policy Institute.

The free event, to be held at the State Library of Western Australia, will bring together international and Australian experts to explore the behavioural, communication and policy dynamics shaping vaccine hesitancy and public confidence in immunisation.

As immunisation rates decline nationally, policymakers and health authorities are increasingly confronting the difficult reality that evidence alone is not enough to change people’s minds.

Vaccine hesitancy has emerged not only as a public health issue, but also a complex challenge involving communication, psychology and trust in institutions.

Internationally renowned misinformation expert and former UWA academic Stephan Lewandowsky, Chair of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Bristol, will deliver the keynote address.

Professor Lewandowsky’s address, “Disinformation, global health, and empathetic responses to vaccine hesitancy,” will examine how misinformation spreads, why it persists, and what evidence-based strategies can help rebuild trust in public health institutions.

He will then join a panel discussion with UWA VaxPol Lab leader Professor Katie Attwell and Professor Ullrich Ecker, whose research focuses on the persistence of false beliefs and how misinformation can be effectively corrected.

The discussion will be moderated by Emily Roper, former Director General of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, who played a key role in Western Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The panel will discuss how public trust in vaccines is formed, why misinformation persists, and what policy and communication strategies can support vaccination and broader preventative health goals.

Policymakers, health professionals, researchers and members of the public interested in understanding the forces shaping vaccine confidence are encouraged to attend.

The event will take place this Wednesday 22 April from 5.30pm to 7.30pm in the Great Southern Room at the State Library in Northbridge. Registration is essential, for more details and to register click here.