Effective communication and public engagement strategies to counter misinformation about infectious diseases

Effective communication and public engagement are essential components of infectious disease control, yet they remain underdeveloped in the field of immunology. This review explores how immunologists and scientists can contribute to countering misinformation and improving vaccine uptake through inclusive, culturally sensitive engagement. Drawing on historical and contemporary case studies, we examine how trust, cognitive biases and community involvement shape public responses. We highlight the importance of co-produced messaging and the role of community champions in building trust, particularly among marginalised groups. Vaccine communication is analysed through the lens of the five Cs: confidence, complacency, convenience, communication and context. We discuss how demographic and structural barriers, historical mistrust and politicisation of health messaging contribute to declining vaccine uptake, and propose tailored strategies to address these challenges. The final section focuses on data presentation as a core foundation of public communication, emphasising that clarity, transparency and ethical framing are critical to public understanding. We outline principles for designing trustworthy visuals, mitigating cognitive biases and embedding context directly within graphics to prevent misinterpretation. Participatory approaches to data communication are shown to improve comprehension and trust, especially when co-developed with affected communities. Together, these domains -engagement, vaccine communication and data presentation - form a foundation for resilient public health responses. By integrating immunological expertise with inclusive communication strategies, scientists can play a central role in fostering informed decision making and strengthening public cooperation in future outbreaks.