Vaccine hesitancy long precedes the lack of confidence witnessed globally during the coronavirus pandemic, and stems from a distrust in the vaccine provider and medical system. In the Global South especially, this had led to a low uptake, with life threatening consequences. However, the global pandemic did expose the need for new ways of collaborating across health and technological space to address this complex issue and strengthen the resiliency of communities. This fireside announces a new partnership across diverse global public stakeholders to improve vaccine confidence that leads to better vaccine uptake. As social media increasingly guides health behavior's, how can these same platforms be used to address distrust? And, why must it be a country-driven, local-led approach?

Merck is a 2023 Concordia Annual Summit Lead Programming Sponsor.