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Inaction, under-reaction action and incapacity: communication breakdown in Italy’s vaccination governance

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Listed:
  • Katie Attwell

    (University of Western Australia
    Perth Children’s Hospital)

  • Tauel Harper

    (University of Western Australia)

  • Marco Rizzi

    (University of Western Australia)

  • Jeannette Taylor

    (University of Western Australia)

  • Virginia Casigliani

    (University of Pisa)

  • Filippo Quattrone

    (University of Pisa)

  • PierLuigi Lopalco

    (University of Pisa)

Abstract

This article explores why governments do not respond to public compliance problems in a timely manner with appropriate instruments, and the consequences of their failure to do so. Utilising a case study of Italian vaccination policy, the article considers counterfactuals and the challenges of governing health policy in an age of disinformation. It counterposes two methods of governing vaccination compliance: discipline, which uses public institutions to inculcate the population with favourable attitudes and practices, and modulation, which uses access to public institutions as a form of control. The Italian government ineffectively employed discipline for a number of years. Epistemological and organisational constraints stymied its efforts to tackle a significant childhood vaccination compliance problem. With a loss of control over the information environment, vaccinations were not served well by exogenous crises, the sensationalism of the news cycle and online misinformation. Hampered by austerity, lack of capacity and epistemic shortcomings, the Italian government did not protect the public legitimacy of the vaccination programme. Instead of employing communications to reassure a hesitant population, they focused on systemic and delivery issues, until it was too late to do anything except make vaccinations mandatory (using modulation). The apparent short-term success of this measure in generating population compliance does not foreclose the need for ongoing governance of vaccine confidence through effective discipline. This is evident for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with many Italians still indicating that they would not accept a vaccine despite the devastation that the disease has wrought throughout their country.

Suggested Citation

  • Katie Attwell & Tauel Harper & Marco Rizzi & Jeannette Taylor & Virginia Casigliani & Filippo Quattrone & PierLuigi Lopalco, 2021. "Inaction, under-reaction action and incapacity: communication breakdown in Italy’s vaccination governance," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 54(3), pages 457-475, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:policy:v:54:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s11077-021-09427-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11077-021-09427-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Talia Goren & Dana R. Vashdi & Itai Beeri, 2022. "Count on trust: the indirect effect of trust in government on policy compliance with health behavior instructions," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 55(4), pages 593-630, December.
    2. Katie Attwell & Adam Hannah & Shevaun Drislane & Tauel Harper & Glenn C. Savage & Jordan Tchilingirian, 2024. "Media actors as policy entrepreneurs: a case study of “No Jab, No Play” and “No Jab, No Pay” mandatory vaccination policies in Australia," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 57(1), pages 29-51, March.
    3. Moshe Maor & Tereza Capelos, 2023. "Symposium: Affect and emotions in policy dynamics," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 56(3), pages 439-448, September.

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