| As the United States confronts its fourth measles outbreak of 2015, public health officials must quickly address declining vaccination rates. This thesis explores public sentiment about vaccination as it relates to public policy communication and private health practices though a rhetorical history of Hepatitis B (HBV), a disease affecting the liver. I do so to demonstrate how the rhetorical climate surrounding vaccination matters to the success of vaccination technology, regardless of the medical legitimacy of any particular vaccine. Through close examination and comparison of policy communication surrounding HBV, I argue that there exists a kairotic eclipse during which campaigns to increase vaccination uptake across the general public may be successful. This eclipsing necessitates the overlap of material, social, and political factors for widespread vaccination acceptance and uptake to be achieved via policy communication. This framework is proposed as a means through which communication scholars can assist in the creation of effective public health messages. |
