Strategies Used for Persuasion in Vaccination Discourse in Kenya

Everyday communication relies heavily on persuasion, making it a crucial element in relationships, leadership, peace building, and success across various domains of life. This study aimed to analyze the use of persuasion in vaccination discourse in Kenya, to identify and discuss the persuasive strategies employed. Guided by Sperber and Wilson’s Relevance Theory, the study adopted a descriptive research design. The population included all vaccination discourse on communicable diseases, and data were purposively sampled from ten address situations delivered by stakeholders from the Ministry of Health and Public Health of Kenya, obtained from mainstream media repositories. The researcher transcribed all expressions and identified utterances intended to persuade. Analysis, guided by relevance principles, revealed that vaccination discourse in Kenya employs a mix of persuasive strategies, including logical, emotional, and motivational appeals, to influence public attitudes. The findings highlight that effective vaccine communication depends not only on delivering factual information but also on how the facts are framed and presented. Persuasive language is therefore pivotal in promoting public health action. The study recommends that health communication integrate targeted persuasive strategies, with training for health officials and communicators on pragmatic language use to enhance message framing and delivery. This would build trust and support informed decision-making among Kenyan citizens regarding vaccination. By examining vaccination discourse through a pragmatic lens, this study contributes to the literature on persuasive communication, enriches understanding of Relevance Theory, and provides insights into global patterns of pragmatic moves in public discourse, offering a foundation for more effective health communication strategies.