The Public Good Projects

10/07/2026

Measles cases only tell part of the story.

PGP’s Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, Executive Director of the Infodemiology Initiative, joined Chelsea Clinton on the Clinton Foundation’s That Can’t Be True to talk about what measles can do to the body, what case counts don’t always capture, and why vaccines remain our best tool for preventing serious illness.

Listen to the conversation wherever you get your podcasts.

10/05/2026

Health departments communicate about everything from vaccines to environmental health. But what they talk about isn’t the only thing that matters in how people respond.

PGP's Infodemiology Initiative analyzed a year of public engagement with online communications from Michigan health departments, in partnership with the Michigan Association for Local Public Health (MALPH). We found distinct patterns depending on the role a health department appeared to be playing in its messaging.

The findings offer health communicators practical insights for planning messages and understanding the feedback they receive.

Explore Help, warn, guide: How communities respond to public health.

Read the full report: https://reports.infodemiology.com/help-warn-guide-michigan

09/29/2026

New vaccine options don’t just create new choices. They create new communication questions.

PGP’s Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS joined ASTHO’s Public Health Review Morning Edition to talk about what the introduction of an mRNA flu vaccine means for public health communicators—and how to answer the questions people actually have.

🎧 Listen to the conversation: bit.ly/4rGL4Zh

Hear from The Public Good Projects on today's infodemiology-focused episode: Communicating About mRNA Flu Vaccines Amid Vaccine Hesitancy.

09/21/2026

There’s a new kind of flu vaccine this season. And it’s changing the conversation.

The FDA recently approved the first mRNA flu vaccine in the U.S. for adults 50 and older. New analysis from the Infodemiology Initiative found familiar COVID-era concerns surfacing around the vaccine, alongside longstanding questions about flu vaccination.

But distrust wasn’t the whole story. People also had practical questions: Will existing flu vaccines still be available? Who can get the new option? How do the side effects compare? Will insurance cover it?

Read the new report to see what we’re finding and what communicators can do with these insights this flu season: https://bit.ly/4hgd0OD

09/15/2026

The Life Unites Us campaign shows that recovery is possible in Pennsylvania, one story at a time.

PGP is proud to support this work alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Douglas W. Po***ck Center for Addiction Outreach and Research, and Shatterproof.

Launched in 2020, Life Unites Us is powered by stories from Pennsylvanians in recovery, their loved ones, and other community advocates. Learn more about how the program addresses stigma at LifeUnitesUs.com.

09/14/2026

Flu, COVID-19, and RSV may share a season, but the conversations around them are very different. So what should health communicators do differently?

Join PGP and Jessica Malaty Rivera, MS, Executive Director of the Infodemiology Initiative, on September 28 as we unpack new findings and turn them into clear next steps for respiratory virus season.

You’ll leave with five concrete ways to strengthen your health communications this fall.

📅 Monday, September 28 | 1-2 p.m. ET
🔗 Register: https://publicgoodprojects-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/9017891450454/WN_Q7J-vxZaRfqLd1Fml7WNjA

09/11/2026

In a recent analysis, close to half of health organization posts promoted respiratory virus vaccines together. But that approach might overlook the distinct questions community members have about each virus’s risk—and each vaccine’s benefit.

The Infodemiology Initiative partnered with the Public Health for All Californians Together (PHACT) Coalition to understand how the public talks about flu, COVID-19, and RSV:

- How do we encourage people not to skip their flu vaccine because they have questions about COVID-19 vaccines?
- How can we reach audiences who are skeptical of public health institutions?
- How do we answer genuine concerns without amplifying entrenched false claims?

Get the takeaways for these questions and more in our interactive report: bit.ly/4xc7K4E

08/25/2026

What can online feedback actually tell health communicators about how a message is landing?

Our new Infodemiology.com report, developed in partnership with the Michigan Association for Local Public Health (MALPH), analyzed a year of online engagement with Michigan health departments across 11 health topics.

The findings offer a practical way to think about messaging before and after you post, helping communicators anticipate audience expectations and better understand the response they see online.

Explore Help, warn, guide: How communities respond to public health.

Read the full report: https://reports.infodemiology.com/help-warn-guide-michigan

08/19/2026

In just a few minutes at a time, you can get the tools to navigate a noisy information environment with the free Infodemiology Training Program, created in partnership with de Beaumont Foundation.

Over four self-paced modules, you’ll explore infodemiology’s applications to public health practice, from collecting media monitoring data to using those insights to communicate with communities.

Go to the link in our bio to get started:
https://training.infodemiology.com/publichealth

*The Infodemiology Training Program for Public Health is supported by the de Beaumont Foundation.

08/13/2026

One respiratory virus season. Three very different public conversations. 👀
The Infodemiology.com team, in partnership with the Public Health for All Californians Together (PHACT) Coalition, analyzed a year of publicly available online conversations and health messaging about flu, COVID-19, and RSV immunizations in California.

Here's what stood out:
💬 Flu: Does it work?
💬 COVID-19: Can I trust it?
💬 RSV: Who needs it?

People asked different questions about each immunization, but health messaging often promoted them together.
Read the full report: https://bit.ly/4zhMk8u