The BRC is partnering with the Canadian Public Health Association through Immunize Canada on a series of webinars focused on supporting public trust and equitable access to vaccine and immune-based innovation in Canada.
Upcoming webinar
Shaping vaccine discourse online: How Vaccine Discourse Champions set the agenda
Insights from 6.6 million posts on X
This presentation examines how Vaccine Discourse Champions — highly active, stance-committed social media users — shape online vaccine conversations. Drawing on 6.6 million posts from 654 users on X, the study uses computational topic modelling and agenda-setting theory to compare the issues prioritized and framed by pro-vaccine, anti-vaccine, and anti-mandate communities.
The presentation will discuss what these patterns mean for immunization communication, including how public health communicators can develop more responsive, value-aware strategies for engaging audiences in polarized digital environments.
Register herePast webinars
How religion influences vaccination decision-making in Canada
This webinar explores the complex relationship between religion and vaccination decision-making in Canada, with a focus on South Asian Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu communities. The session highlights why religion should not be viewed as a single or isolated driver of hesitancy, but rather as one component interacting with individual, community, and structural influences – such as immigration status, education, and geography.
The webinar will also showcase examples of community-led and faith-based initiatives that have supported equitable vaccine access and engagement in Canada. Haaris Tiwana will conclude with practical considerations for researchers, policymakers, and public health practitioners seeking to design more culturally responsive and equity-informed vaccination strategies.
When innovation meets hesitancy: Building public trust in (mRNA) vaccines through dialogue
Research and vaccine development using mRNA technology enabled a rapid response to the new pathogen, SARS-CoV-2 early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet despite their scientific success, mRNA vaccines have been divisive, and public receptivity to vaccination has waned.
This webinar will feature work underway through the BRC Dialogue Platform, drawing lessons from the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine experience to explore what it will take to build and sustain public trust in therapeutic innovations that play a pivotal role in limiting the scale and impact of harm from emerging pathogens. Dr. Plamondon will share highlights from the current dialogue series and reflect on how this responsive, collaborative approach to learning can itself help strengthen trust.
If you are interested in participating in a Deliberative Dialogue, we would be happy to host you. Contact: equityscience.lab@ubc.ca
Navigating moral distress and online harassment of health-care workers in Canada
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed healthcare workers to intense ethical pressures and rising online abuse.
This webinar will present research findings that capture the experiences of online harassment and moral distress—the inability to provide care one believes is ethically necessary due to external constraints—among health-care professionals across Canada during the pandemic. The session will highlight evidence-based recommendations and resources developed in response to these challenges.
Presenters will also introduce ongoing research aimed at better understanding how to support the health-care community as it continues to navigate moral distress and online hostility, particularly in the context of vaccine hesitancy.
