Podcast: A candid conversation about diversity in clinical trials
Hear a patient and a doctor share why they want more people involved in medical studies
May 2, 2024
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Clinical trials are an important part of helping to ensure new medicines are safe and effective. Yet a lack of awareness and feelings of hesitancy about joining one persist.
Some people are uncertain about medical research due to past studies like the Tuskegee Experiment, when Black men were denied treatment for syphilis in the 1930s. Today, many are cautious when receiving advice from members of the medical community, including their doctors.
Euvon Jones — a motivational artist, proud father and husband and a former clinical trial participant — hadn’t thought much about clinical trials before his diagnosis with prostate cancer, but he eventually decided to participate in a study to advance knowledge of the condition not only for himself but also for his community.
In this podcast, Jones joined Adrelia Allen, executive director of clinical trial patient diversity at our company, and Dr. Renee Matthews, director of live programming and production at BlackDoctor.org,toshare the factors that impacted his decision to participate in a clinical trial and how that experience changed his perspective on medical research.
Jones said it’s hard to trust the process if you don’t trust your health care provider or the person recommending a clinical trial. “Good information might be provided, but you have to trust that the information is good for you,” he said.
Additionally, Matthews discussed how misinformation perpetuates stigma around clinical trials and the work that her organization is doing to help instill confidence in people who are considering participating in clinical trials.
Prostate cancer: stigma, early screening and support
A prostate cancer survivor and a caregiver and advocate want to inspire more people to talk about the disease
April 26, 2024
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Even after losing his father and grandfather to prostate cancer, Henry H. Washington III, Ph.D., was still shocked by his prostate cancer diagnosis after a routine screening. A retired Army Major and longtime athlete, Washington saw himself as the picture of health.
“After fighting for my country in the military and then to find out I have prostate cancer – how do I deal with that? It was a lot of emotions. I think as men we aren’t allowed to have emotions. We are taught that we need to be strong.”
Henry H. Washington III
Screening for prostate cancer is key in early detection
After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer for men in the U.S. Anyone who was born with a prostate can develop it. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed during their lifetime, and Black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer.
In its early stages, prostate cancer can be difficult to identify because there are usually no symptoms.
Routine screening for those who are at risk can help detect prostate cancer early before it has spread. The greatest risk factor is age. Men over the age of 65 have the highest risk. Additional risk factors include inherited gene mutations and a family history of certain cancers.
Speaking out and supporting loved ones with prostate cancer
Courtney Bugler, president and CEO of ZERO Prostate Cancer who herself is a cancer survivor, said she was inspired to take on this role to support her father, who is living with the disease.
“There’s a stigma around prostate cancer and watching my dad made me want to shine a light on something that, quite honestly, I don’t think gets enough attention. After almost 20 years of him supporting me after my own diagnosis, it’s time for me to be there for him.”
Courtney Bugler CEO of ZERO Prostate Cancer
The stigma associated with prostate cancer can be attributed in part to the nature of the disease and its treatment disrupting normal urinary, bowel and sexual function, all of which can impact a patient’s body image and self-esteem. The thought of impaired sexual health, in particular, may even lead men to avoid screening for prostate cancer altogether.
Statistics show there’s still unease around prostate cancer diagnosis
A 2022 study of 200 metastatic prostate cancer patients, conducted by Merck and Cerner Enviza, found:
58% of patients agree there’s a stigma around prostate cancer.
39% didn’t share their feelings about having prostate cancer with loved ones because they felt they needed to “stay strong.”
More than a third felt uncomfortable, embarrassed or vulnerable talking to their loved ones (37%) or their doctor (38%) about emotional challenges.
Now cancer-free for a decade, Washington said he sees helping others as his purpose. He faces the potential unease head-on by educating others about prostate cancer, encouraging men to get checked early and working with men who have been diagnosed.
“Survivorship is not a linear experience; sometimes it’s two steps forward, five steps back,” said Washington. “The support I received from my friends, my support groups, my mother and my family is what gave me strength to educate others about prostate cancer.”
"Finding support and having people beside you who know what you're going through is what will help get you through.”
For more information about prostate cancer and access to helpful resources visit ZERO Prostate Cancer.
Merck’s (NYSE: MRK) Q1 2024 results reflect continued strong growth in oncology and vaccines. Our company announced Q1 worldwide sales of $15.8 billion, an increase of 9% from Q1 2023.
“Merck has begun 2024 with continuing momentum in our business. We are harnessing the power of innovation to advance our deep pipeline and are maximizing the impact of our broad commercial portfolio for the benefit of patients,” said Rob Davis, chairman and chief executive officer. “We drove strong growth across key therapeutic areas, executed strategic business development, and in the U.S., we are now launching WINREVAIR, a significant new product in the cardiometabolic space for adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a progressive and debilitating disease. We have important opportunities ahead of us across all areas of our business, and we are highly focused on realizing them.”
Merck anticipates full-year 2024 worldwide sales to be between $63.1 billion and $64.3 billion.
Take a look at the infographic below for more details on Q1 2024 results.
We’re partnering with N.C. A&T to launch a collaborative biotechnology learning center
April 22, 2024
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Building the workforce of tomorrow means investing in the students of today. That’s why we’ve partnered with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University(N.C. A&T) — the largest historically Black college and university in the U.S. — to launch the Merck Biotechnology Learning Center.
“We’re pleased to launch this new collaboration with an institution that precisely aligns to our company priorities to invest in the growth and delivery of innovative health solutions and strong values around diversity and inclusion,” said Sanat Chattopadhyay, executive vice president and president, Merck Manufacturing Division. “Together we can fuel the growth of talent for our company and the biotechnology industry overall.”
Located in the home state of our Durham and Wilson manufacturing sites, the 4,025 square-foot facility will enhance academic programming and training for biotechnology careers for N.C. A&T students and provide advanced discovery opportunities through its classroom space, process laboratory and state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical manufacturing equipment.
“This collaboration signifies a union between academia and industry, and a commitment to excellence, innovation and the advancement of scientific knowledge,” said Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., provost and executive vice chancellor of academic affairs for N.C. A&T.
The collaboration also signifies an investment in the community’s future by expanding local and statewide bioeconomy initiatives. It’ll also help to expand talent and recruitment opportunities for our company and offer vaccine manufacturing process training for new and existing employees.
“The Merck Biotechnology Learning Center will provide opportunities for N.C. A&T students to look inside the biopharmaceutical industry and understand what a career in this space looks like. Through our joint initiative with N.C. A&T, we’re developing new and innovative ways to build a pipeline of talent here in North Carolina and beyond.”
Amanda Taylor Vice president and Durham plant manager
Humans, animals and the environment – our health is all connected
Why the One Health approach is important now more than ever
April 15, 2024
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The health of humans, animals and the environment are all interconnected. When the health of one is at risk, the health of all may be at risk.
We see it in diseases transferred between animals or insects and humans (called zoonotic and vector-borne diseases) such as rabies, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, swine flu and Ebola, among others. We also see it in the growing threat from antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which occurs when bacteria mutate in ways that make the medicines (antimicrobials) used to treat infections ineffective, or when these medicines are used inappropriately to treat viral infections. Or, in diseases in food-producing animals, jeopardizing global food security.
Our increasing vulnerability to such new health challenges has led to a focus on “One Health” — an integrated approach to addressing human, animal and environmental health for the benefit of all.
What is One Health?
One Health is the collaborative approach across multiple disciplines — working locally, regionally, nationally and globally — to prevent, detect and respond to health issues at the interfaces between humans, animals and the environment.
It requires collaboration among doctors, veterinarians, nurses, public health practitioners, epidemiologists, agricultural workers, ecologists, wildlife experts, and industry as well as policymakers, communities and even pet owners.
“No one person, organization or sector can address these issues alone. Identifying and responding to growing health challenges requires teamwork,” says Holger Lehmann, DVM, Ph.D., VP, pharmaceuticals research and development, Merck Animal Health.
But what has led to these increasing population health threats?
Why are we more vulnerable to new health challenges?
Society has undergone major changes over the past century. While technology, increased mobility, industrialization, urbanization and globalization have advanced human, animal and environmental health in many ways, they’ve also made us more vulnerable to new health challenges.
For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, millions of people and animals around the world are affected by zoonotic diseases. Scientists estimate that around 60% of emerging infectious diseases that are reported globally come from animals, both wild and domestic. Over 30 new human pathogens have been detected in the last 3 decades, 75% of which have originated in animals.
They can be spread in a number of ways, including direct or indirect contact, vector-borne, foodborne or waterborne. In fact, foodborne pathogens cause millions of cases of sporadic illness and chronic complications, as well as large and challenging outbreaks in many countries and between countries.
In addition, increased exposure to new viruses/bacteria combined with excessive and/or inappropriate use of medicines is causing a rise in AMR. Worldwide, an estimated 4.95 million people died with drug-resistant bacterial infections in 2019, and 1.27 million of these deaths were directly caused by antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Three main factors are fueling these population health threats, increasing the probability and speed of spreading diseases. They are:
Changes in climate and land use
Deforestation and other disruptions in environmental conditions can provide new opportunities for diseases to develop.
Exponential population growth and expansion into previously uninhabited areas
More people are living in close connection to their companion animals, and in some cases, closer to wild and domestic animals.
Increased international mobility
People, animals and animal products are moving more frequently, easily and widely than ever before.
Our commitment to One Health
With deep expertise in both human and animal health and a commitment to our shared environment, our company is well-positioned to be a leader in the One Health approach.
“We recognize the issues — such as zoonotic and infectious diseases and food safety and security — are interrelated,” says Ian Tarpey, Ph.D., VP, biological research and development, Merck Animal Health. “Our Animal Health and Human Health teams will continue to collaborate to discover and develop preventative solutions for existing and emerging diseases in animals and people.”
Our One Health approach focuses on many areas, including:
Disease prevention
We remain focused on discovering and developing vaccines and technologies to help prevent both human and animal diseases.
Surveillance and monitoring
We’re committed to advocating for and participating in scientifically based surveillance monitoring systems to better understand, track and predict health-related issues.
Respecting our environment
We support science-based, environmentally sound international and national programs to address the challenges to environmental health.
Innovation
Our human and animal health research laboratories collaborate in antimicrobial and vaccine research in many ways including sharing enabling technologies, expertise and evaluation of external opportunities. We’re also investing and developing predictive, monitoring and diagnostic technologies to help animal caretakers make data-driven evaluations of an animal’s health status and optimize their animals’ health and well-being.
Stewardship of essential medicines
We’re playing a leading role in addressing AMR by not only discovering and developing medicines and vaccines to treat and prevent infectious diseases in humans and animals but also supporting responsible use of these products.
Safe and sustainable food supply
We continue to work on developing vaccines and other tools to prevent animal disease to ensure a safe, nutritious, sustainable food supply, and we’ve implemented surveillance initiatives to enable more accurate risk profiling, early disease detection and individualized diagnosis/treatment decisions in livestock.
The science of healthier animals
We build strong partnerships in an effort to improve the health of animals around the world, and approach our work with a deep sense of responsibility — to our customers, consumers, animals, society and the planet.
“One Health recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health, acknowledging that the well-being of each is intricately linked. By embracing a collaborative approach, we can effectively address the complex challenges and promote optimal health for both humans and animals.”
– Dr. Jenelle Krishnamoorthy, VP, global public policy
How science and innovation fuel our efforts to help combat a rare but potentially deadly disease
April 11, 2024
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Patients inspire us to pursue the best science in our inventions and everything we do. Every innovation has the potential to help build a healthier, more hopeful future for people everywhere — which means taking on some of today’s global health challenges, including Ebola.
Leading the effort to combat Zaire ebolavirus
Our company is a health care leader in the fight against Zaire ebolavirus. Along with external collaborators from all sectors, our scientists are at the forefront of the response to outbreaks of this potentially deadly disease as we continue to help address this global health challenge. Zaire ebolavirus has had a devastating impact on the world and has proved itself to be a potentially deadly and contagious disease, with a survival rate of 50%. While there are six identified Ebola virus species, the Zaire ebolavirus strain has been the leading cause of outbreaks over the last 20 years.
Global public health preparedness against future Zaire ebolavirus outbreaks requires advanced planning, system readiness for rapid deployment and collaboration and partnership between public and private entities around the world. Our partnerships with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other health partners around the globe are a crucial component of our commitment to helping save and improve lives.
“We take Zaire ebolavirus outbreaks very seriously and act with the utmost urgency to support response efforts,” said Rachael Bonawitz, clinical director, clinical research vaccines. “Our teams are dedicated to supporting the frontline workers whose brave actions are critical in outbreak response efforts.”
In 2021, we established an agreement with UNICEF to create the world’s first global Ebola Zaire stockpile, the result of breakthrough innovation and collaboration with four leading international health and humanitarian organizations across the world. The global stockpile offers a critical, rapid-response tool.
“It has been our honor to collaborate with WHO, Gavi, UNICEF, the U.S. government and many others in supporting outbreak preparedness and response efforts,” said Drew Otoo, president of global vaccines. “Through these collaborations, we demonstrate what’s possible when partners come together to pursue a common purpose for patients.”
This level of collaboration continues to be needed for Zaire ebolavirus and other diseases. We remain committed to working in collaboration with global and local health partners to support current and future outbreak response efforts.
How we're leveraging each other’s unique strengths to help advance cancer research
April 10, 2024
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Combining two ambitious cancer research teams to form a united front to help people with cancer
It’s sometimes said that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That’s why in 2018 we teamed up with Eisai, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, to work together to advance cancer research.
“Combining Merck’s leadership in immuno-oncology with Eisai’s strengths in small molecules allows us to advance a combination approach that has the potential to help more people living with challenging cancers,” says Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, vice president, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories.
"There's still an unmet need for many patients with cancer. These patients and their families are in need of more treatment options, and this remains at the forefront of our collaborative efforts."
Dr. Takashi Owa
Vice president, chief medicine creation and chief discovery officer, oncology business group, Eisai
Together, we’re striving to drive cancer science forward, and this shared vision has led to multiple clinical trials investigating the companies’ combination treatment option in various tumor types.
Through this comprehensive approach, we’ve been expanding the joint clinical program to help as many cancer patients as possible.
Why did you decide to go into oncology research?
“My decision was very personal,” says Owa. “At the age of six, my grandmother passed away from gastric cancer. I couldn’t fully process what had happened to her at that young age. It wasn’t until I entered junior high school that I began to understand the toll cancer had taken on her, which motivated me to learn about cancer and find my passion in cancer research.”
Lubiniecki’s experience was also very personal.
“Watching my mother recover from breast cancer while I was in high school exposed me to the challenges patients face when battling cancer. These experiences inspired me to ultimately pursue oncology,” explains Lubiniecki. “Oncology clinical research offers an opportunity to impact the practice of medicine greatly.”
Looking to the future
“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together in our pursuit to investigate additional options for patients across a broad range of cancer types through our robust clinical development program,” says Lubiniecki.
Owa is optimistic about the progress the two teams have made together. “We’ve already seen encouraging anti-tumor activity in several difficult-to-treat cancers, which has led to multiple milestones to date,” he says. “As we continue to enhance our knowledge and scientific evidence through our ongoing clinical research efforts, together, we aim to give patients and their families hope.”
Lubiniecki believes that collaborations are important to continuing to advance cancer research and improve the outcomes of people with cancer.
“A collaborative approach is key to advancing science and making strides in drug discovery and development.”
Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki
Vice president, global clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories
“Working with others driven by the same patient-centric goals can yield innovations and is imperative to continued progress in improving patient care,” says Lubiniecki. “I’m thrilled to be a part of this collaboration as we continue to advance and expand the clinical trial program.”
How employees with careers in nursing are critical at Merck
Nurses' clinical expertise and patient experience provide valuable insight across our company
April 10, 2024
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Nurses do vital work every day. The care they provide makes a profound difference in the lives of patients and their families. And that’s why employees with careers in nursing are critical at Merck.
Esther Smith-Howell, associate director, outcomes research, said her nursing background provides her with valuable experience she applies as a business scientist.
“I understand patients’ concerns and questions related to medications and care, their need for education and information, the social context that may affect their ability to access and pay for medications and care,” said Smith-Howell. “It helps me think holistically about research and patients.”
"Integrating the patient perspective into solving scientific research problems is critical for successful patient outcomes."
— Esther Smith-Howell, Ph.D., MSHP, R.N.
Associate director, outcomes research, health care delivery research
A sincere desire to help patients
From product safety and labeling to marketing, clinical operations and medical affairs, we employ hundreds of registered nurses in non-clinical positions.
“Nurses are a valuable resource to our company in terms of their real-world patient experience, clinical expertise and talent,” said Mary Elmer, executive director, patient innovation & engagement, and a nurse herself. “They bring important perspectives to help inform our business.”
That’s why Elmer, with now retired fellow nurse Jan Nissen, created the Merck Nurses Network, a voluntary group of nurses who work across functions and roles throughout the company. Their mission is to harness the collective knowledge of nurses to provide meaningful insight across the business, even beyond their day jobs.
“The network is a great way for peers to connect and share experiences and learnings, always with a focus on patients,” said Elmer.
"Nurses share a special bond. There's true camaraderie between us fueled
by a sincere desire to help patients."
One of those members is Steve Morin, whose varied nursing experiences working directly with patients help inform his current role as director of regulatory policy. He’s served as a bone marrow transplant nurse in a hospital, research nurse in clinical trials, and nurse officer in the U.S. public health service, where he worked with a number of underserved populations from around the world.
“These experiences allowed me to see health from a global perspective, and I use that background now as I advocate for regulatory policies that will help improve patient outcomes.”
Steve Morin, MSHE, BSN Director, regulatory policy
Nurses at Merck are critical to our work
The nurses’ diverse backgrounds and skillsets — surgical, oncology, primary care, pediatrics, among others — also allow for valuable insight overall and targeted support when needed in a specific area of focus.
Here are four ways employees use their nursing expertise to make clinical and non-clinical impact:
Drug delivery development
Providing input on early design models for our product teams to create user-friendly devices as well as easy-to-understand accompanying patient education materials.
Package design
Supporting human factor testing, which focuses on the interactions between people and the product, by providing perspective on the end-user experience of patients and the health care professionals who give our products to patients.
Communications materials
Providing personal and professional perspectives, including how patients and their families digest health information, cultural sensitivities, and other insights, so we deliver health literate information that is clear for people who use our products.
Clinical support
Mobilizing teams of nurses to assist our employee health department, including stepping away from their non-clinical day jobs to provide critical support and help prevent disruption in business activities.
Our colleagues share their thoughts on being nurses at Merck:
“With Merck’s patient-centric values, I’m empowered with valuable tools to help patients. Merck has always been committed to science and education . . . it’s a perfect organization for a nurse to thrive in.”
“My background as a nurse gives me a unique perspective. I get it. I’ve been there when I’ve had to deliver bad news. I’ve also been there when I have great news to deliver. I’ve watched patients’ daily struggles. They’ve shared their stories with me. In my daily work, I’m constantly thinking about ‘how do we make things better for patients.’”
— Dr. Lisa Lea, DNP, FNP-C
Director, patient innovation and engagement
Cynthia Thompson
“With a history of cancer in my family, I became a nurse to try to understand why so many Black Americans die from this disease. I now get to teach physicians about our medications and hope to help make a difference in the lives of people living with cancer.”
— Cynthia Thompson, R.N., M.S.N.
Oncology sales representative, women’s health
“Merck is a great place for nurses to work, and we need more of them. As the role most closely connected to the patient, we’re also the voice that can function as advocates and innovators of the future.”
— Dr. Kim Daly, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
Regional medical director, vaccines
Becky Donahue
“Merck recognizes the value of our nursing experience and brings our collaborative voice into business decisions that will have a positive impact on the patients and providers we serve.”
— Becky Donahue, MSN, R.N.
Associate director, pharmacovigilance operations and global process enablement
Ron Shank
“I’ve been at Merck for 25 years, but I keep my nursing license current. It allows me to volunteer for medical mission trips and at the local free clinic. Fortunately, the things I love about nursing are part of my job here — like helping improve patients’ lives.”
How Merck scientists are driving next-generation cancer research
Our scientists are accelerating research by looking to improve anti-tumor immune response, targeting specific cancer cells and helping inhibit cancer growth
March 29, 2024
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In recent decades, our improved understanding of cancer has illuminated that we cannot treat all cancers as one disease — scientists have classified hundreds of types and found a myriad of genetic drivers underlying them. This means, just as cancer isn’t one disease, there cannot be just one way to treat all cancers.
“We’ve witnessed dramatic progress in how we treat a wide range of cancers, and our work at Merck has been foundational in how we treat metastatic disease, or cancer that has spread.”
Dr. Jane Healy Vice president and head of oncology early development, Merck Research Laboratories
“This is just the tip of the iceberg. These advancements are helping to fuel the next generation of discoveries and drive progress in the way we care for people with all stages of cancer. We must push research forward that supports early discoveries and novel innovations to advance the future of cancer research,” Healy said.
Driving research toward treating certain cancers earlier
With the ultimate goal of providing patients with the greatest chance for survival, our researchers are building a broad clinical development program focused on treating certain cancers at earlier stages.
“Expanding our research efforts into earlier stages of disease remains a top priority,” said Healy. “We’re pursuing research where we have the greatest potential to make a significant impact in helping reduce the risk of recurrence and improving survival.”
A robust pipeline of diverse approaches to advanced and earlier stages of cancer
In addition to driving research in earlier stages of cancer, Healy and her colleagues are investigating multiple mechanisms and modalities that may have the potential to address cancer in innovative ways. Through our own research and external collaborations, we’ve developed a robust pipeline that encompasses diverse approaches to treating advanced and earlier stages of cancer across more than 20 novel mechanisms, including:
Boosting anti-tumor immune responses: Learnings from recent advancements in cancer care have informed a more focused approach to research. Now, we’re investigating foundational cancer treatments combined with negative immune regulators that play different roles in adjusting the immune response.
We’re also exploring individualized neoantigen therapies, a growing area of research focused on sharpening the immune response against a person’s own tumor by developing a therapy unique to their tumor’s mutation.
Tissue-specific targeting of chemotherapy to increase cancer cell sensitivity to immune responses: While chemotherapy remains an important treatment option, our scientists are exploring how antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), with novel chemotherapy-like payloads, can be used as a more targeted approach to deliver chemotherapy.
Similarly, we’re pursuing research that enhances the ability of T cells to recognize and attack tumors.
Impacting pathways that can drive cancer growth: We’ve identified opportunities for the direct targeting of cancer cell vulnerabilities and transcription factors that were previously considered untreatable. By designing therapeutic candidates that inhibit or degrade proteins and genes implicated in cancer pathways, we’re evaluating new ways to help address rare and difficult-to-treat cancers that currently have limited treatment options.
"We're committed to investing in novel research where scientific opportunity and medical need converge. "
— Jane Healy
“These key areas of research are the cornerstones of our broad and diverse pipeline, with more than 2,250 ongoing clinical trials, which include more than 1,600 trials evaluating combination regimens. We remain dedicated to discovering new ways to fight this disease and optimizing existing approaches — all while continuing to lead in supporting the next generation of cancer research,” said Healy.
How we can strengthen vaccination programs and build vaccine confidence together
Two Merck leaders share how we’re working to help protect communities from vaccine-preventable illnesses
February 21, 2024
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Vaccines are one of the most significant public health achievements in modern history, playing a vital role in helping to prevent certain infectious diseases and protect communities across the globe.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic brought forth a new set of challenges in sustaining vaccination efforts for other preventable diseases — highlighting existing disparities and inequalities in access to health care and underscoring the urgent need for action.
In two op-eds for Devex, an independent news organization covering global development, Drew Otoo, Pharm.D., president of global vaccines, and Alfred Saah, M.D., executive director of scientific affairs, highlighted some of the ways we’re working to address these challenges at the global, national and local levels.
Collaborating to help increase health equity
Otoo said collaboration across sectors is key to building trust, enabling equity and establishing stronger, more resilient vaccination programs.
“Now more than ever, we have an opportunity to evaluate and strengthen our approach… Together, we can help create a more equitable future where vaccines are available to and accepted by all who can benefit from them.”
Drew Otoo, Pharm.D. President of global vaccines, Merck
Otoo shared examples of our work with local and global stakeholders to develop tailored approaches to improve vaccine confidence and supply vaccines for communities that might otherwise be without them:
Local organizations and community leaders have a deep understanding of the issues contributing to inequities and low routine vaccination rates in their communities, and they’re essential to identifying and executing solutions. We know this to be the case from our efforts through ImmUNITY Chicago, an initiative we helped catalyze with local stakeholders to address lower vaccination rates among neighborhoods in the Southwest Side of Chicago, predominantly among communities of color.
Strategic global collaborations are also critical to enabling stronger, more sustainable vaccination programs. We work with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance — a global alliance that has helped to vaccinate nearly half of the world’s children in low-income countries.
Combating vaccine hesitancy and building trust
Saah emphasized our commitment to addressing vaccine hesitancy (the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines) and building confidence at local, national and global levels.
“By understanding the knowledge gaps and prioritizing strategies that strengthen how we communicate…we can potentially combat vaccine hesitancy, improve vaccine confidence and make a difference in global public health.”
Alfred Saah, M.D. Executive director of scientific affairs, Merck
Despite the well-documented benefits of vaccines, hesitancy is a longstanding public health issue that can result in under-vaccination and global disease outbreaks. The reasons behind vaccine hesitancy are often connected to the 3Cs Model, defined by a World Health Organization strategic advisory group:
Complacency: The perception that vaccine-preventable diseases pose little risk to individuals.
Convenience: The degree to which vaccination services are accessible.
Confidence: The degree to which an individual believes vaccines work, are safe and effective and are part of a trustworthy public health and medical system.
Saah shared some of our efforts to improve vaccine confidence, which include:
Working with collaborators to reach the global population and engage communities through mediums that resonate, such as social media, and through messages that can be delivered by trusted community members.
Building capabilities for our colleagues in local markets to better understand the strengths and vulnerabilities of vaccination programs on a global and national scale.
Continuing our work to improve vaccine access
Despite the challenges ahead, both Saah and Otoo are optimistic about the future.
“Combating vaccine hesitancy is not an easy feat and has been a challenge our global society has faced for centuries,” wrote Saah. “However, these challenges bring new opportunities to improve our approach and be better advocates for ourselves, our families and our communities.”
“By going where the need exists and continuing to invest in innovative, strategic and diverse collaborations, I'm confident we'll find new ways to solve complex public health problems.”
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“With Merck’s patient-centric values, I’m empowered with valuable tools to help patients. Merck has always been committed to science and education . . . it’s a perfect organization for a nurse to thrive in.”
