AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine should have been a clear victory… instead, it became a case study in mismanaged communications. “Head-scratching” data, clumsy disclosures, and an extraordinary rebuke from regulators turned a scientific breakthrough into a battle for credibility.
Here’s what went wrong… and how YOUR organisation can avoid the same fate.
What Went Wrong
Inappropriate information management in AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine communications played a significant role in damaging the vaccine’s reputation and eroding public trust.
The company failed to directly inform the FDA that it had halted its clinical trials due to a potential side effect; instead, FDA officials learned about the pause from news reports, which delayed the US trial for weeks. The company then provided regulators with retroactive data.
Confusing and inconsistent efficacy information created what one expert called “head-scratching data”. In November 2020, AstraZeneca reported an overall efficacy of 70% by pooling data from different trials with varying dosing regimens (an unusual approach). Later, it was revealed that a more effective regimen (90%) resulted from an accidental half-dose, whereas two full doses showed only 62% efficacy.
The most significant unforced error, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, occurred in March 2021, when AstraZeneca issued a press release claiming 79% efficacy from its US trial. However, the trial’s Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) issued a rare public statement expressing concern that the company may have used “outdated information” that provided an “incomplete view” of the data. The DSMB’s letter noted that more complete data suggested 69–74% efficacy, indicating that AstraZeneca chose to release “the most favourable” numbers. NIAID subsequently issued a middle-of-the-night statement to “clear the air” and avoid being accused of a cover-up. AstraZeneca revised its efficacy claim to 76%.
AstraZeneca lost control of the narrative by not communicating quickly, clearly, and consistently, creating an information vacuum that was filled with speculation and criticism from regulators, the media, and the public on social media. The company was frequently put in a defensive position, reacting to events rather than proactively managing them. This was compounded by external events beyond its control, such as European countries pausing the vaccine’s rollout due to concerns about blood clots, which fuelled public anxiety despite regulatory conclusions that the vaccine’s benefits outweighed the risks. Public discourse on social media amplified these fears, focusing heavily on terms like “blood clot” and “death”.
A Better Approach
From a crisis and reputation management perspective, effective communication strategies are grounded in proactive planning, transparency, and consistency.
Proactive and Transparent Coordination: A core principle of crisis communication is coordination and collaboration with other credible sources. For example, immediate engagement with the FDA regarding the trial pause, rather than allowing regulators to be surprised by news reports, and working with the DSMB to review and agree upon the data before issuing the March 2021 press release. This could have helped prevent the public discourse that severely damaged credibility. Being the first to release information can significantly reduce reputational damage.
Consistent and Clear Messaging: Inconsistent messaging increases public anxiety and erodes trust. Establishing a single source of truth with clear, pre-approved key messages for all spokespeople and communication channels could have helped avoid the confusion around AstraZeneca’s vaccine and approach. A clear explanation for the initial dosing error and the resulting efficacy variations was needed, rather than allowing confusion to persist. A rigorous internal information verification and clearance process would have helped ensure accuracy and consistency before release.
Embracing Honesty and Acknowledging Uncertainty: A key tenet of crisis communication is to “tell it all, tell it fast, and tell the truth”. Presenting the most complete and up-to-date figures instead of the most favourable data, while acknowledging the inherent uncertainty in ongoing trials, would have helped control the narrative and build trust through transparency. Dr. Fauci noted that the NIAID had to act to avoid the perception of a cover-up, highlighting the public’s expectation of transparency. Acknowledging uncertainty with phrases such as “this is an evolving situation” can build credibility. In contrast, over-reassuring can backfire if new information emerges.
Expressing Empathy and Focusing on Public Well-Being: Expressing empathy is critical to building trust, especially when dealing with health and safety concerns. Although the blood clot investigation was external, centring on acknowledging public fears and clearly explaining the findings of regulators (e.g., the EMA’s confirmation of the vaccine’s overall positive benefit-risk profile) would have helped shift the focus from defending the company to prioritising public health and safety.
Want to help make sure you/your company is ready?
Here’s how a crisis communications consultant can help you prepare for (and navigate) the unexpected.
A formal crisis communication plan is the foundation for ensuring a structured, timely, and effective response. A consultant can guide you through creating this practical, actionable playbook tailored to your organisation’s specific vulnerabilities and integrated into your overall strategy. This plan becomes the central source of truth, keeping everyone on track when a crisis arises.
What’s involved:
Pre-identifying a Crisis Team: A crisis requires a dedicated, multidisciplinary team. A consultant will work with your leadership team to assemble a core crisis comms team, identifying key decision-makers from the C-suite, public relations, legal, and operational divisions. Each member will have clearly pre-defined roles and responsibilities to avoid confusion in the moment, including monitoring social media, drafting responses, and liaising with legal counsel.
Training Spokespeople: Your spokesperson is the human face of your organization during a crisis, and their performance can significantly impact public perception. A consultant can provide specialised, hands-on training to your designated spokespeople, equipping them with the skills to handle tough questions, stay on message, avoid common mistakes, and project confidence, credibility, and empathy.
Establishing Notification and Monitoring Systems: Early detection is critical in proactive crisis management. A consultant can help you establish dynamic notification and media monitoring systems, including social listening tools, to track conversations across traditional and social media and identify emerging issues before they escalate. Clear notification protocols ensure that information flows quickly and consistently to all internal and external stakeholders.
Preparing Holding Statements: When everything goes wrong, every second counts, and the pressure to respond immediately is intense. A consultant will help you draft and pre-approve holding statements and message templates. These enable you to publicly acknowledge an issue swiftly and with empathy, confirming that you are aware of the situation while your team gathers the facts. This proactive step prevents an information vacuum that could otherwise be filled with rumours and speculation. Control the narrative from the very beginning!
This preparation allows your organization to remain in control and strategically manage the crisis throughout its entire lifecycle. Objective guidance from a consultant helps you move away from emotion and replace it with rational strategy, which helps lead to defensible decisions under pressure and the potential to turn a catastrophe into an opportunity to demonstrate your organisation’s values and resilience.
Sources
Boseley, Sarah. “US Agency Questions AstraZeneca’s Covid Vaccine Trial Data.” The Guardian, March 23, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/23/us-health-agency-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-trial-data.
Catalan-Matamoros, Daniel, Ignacio Prieto-Sanchez, and Andrea Langbecker. “Crisis Communication during COVID-19: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish Discourse of AstraZeneca Vaccine and Omicron Variant on Social Media.” Vaccines 11, no. 6 (June 15, 2023): 1100. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11061100.
Cohen, Jon. “AstraZeneca Lowers Efficacy Claim for COVID-19 Vaccine, a Bit, after Board’s Rebuke.” Science, March 25, 2021. https://www.science.org/content/article/astrazeneca-lowers-efficacy-claim-covid-19-vaccine-bit-after-boards-rebuke.
European Medicines Agency. “AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine: EMA Finds Possible Link to Very Rare Cases of Unusual Blood Clots with Low Blood Platelets.” EMA, April 7, 2021. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/astrazenecas-covid-19-vaccine-ema-finds-possible-link-very-rare-cases-unusual-blood-clots-low-blood-platelets.
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Joseph, Andrew, and Lev Facher. “Mishaps, Miscommunications Overshadow AstraZeneca’s Covid Vaccine.” STAT News, March 23, 2021. https://www.statnews.com/2021/03/23/mishaps-miscommunications-overshadowing-astrazenecas-covid-vaccine.
McKie, Robin. “AstraZeneca’s Covid Vaccine Is No More — but Its Remarkable Success Must Not Be Forgotten.” The Guardian, May 11, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/11/astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-jab-coronavirus-saved-lives-humanitarian-crises.
McPherson, Molly. Indestructible PR Playbook. Molly McPherson LLC, 2024.
Norman, Jane. “AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine Rebranding to ‘Vaxzevria’ ahead of International Travel Restart.” ABC News (Australia), Aug. 6, 2021. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-06/astrazeneca-vaccine-rebrand-vaxzevria-covid-9/100356980.
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