If Google searches and social media posts are any indicators, lots of people are asking which COVID vaccine is best. But vaccines aren’t like laptops or washing machines, which you can compare online. It’s really hard to compare vaccines, say Wen Shi Lee and Hyon Xhi Tan from the Doherty Institute, because there are many factors on which to compare them and different ways to judge how well they work.

And even if we did come up with a definition of “best”, most of us can’t choose between brands anyway. While vaccine supplies are short, we’re left with whichever vaccine we’re offered right now, all of which have been shown to significantly reduce the harms of COVID. They say waiting for a particular brand can not only be dangerous for us and the people around us, it helps prolong the pandemic.

Meanwhile, it’s no secret the federal government’s COVID vaccination advertisements so far have been criticised for being less than engaging. As it prepares to launch a new ad campaign next month – this one aimed at under 40s – we asked a vaccine communications expert to explain what would actually make for a strong ad campaign.

According to Jessica Kaufman, there are two “dos” and one “don’t”. We need diverse spokespeople, and ads that are a bit entertaining. And we should avoid scare tactics, as research suggests fear-based messaging can actually backfire. Kaufman also sets out some strategies we need to be thinking about alongside an ad campaign to boost vaccination, including behavioural “nudges”, community engagement, and improving access to COVID vaccines.

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