Coralie Chevallier

Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Behavioral Sciences – Ecole normale supérieure, PSL

Rolling out efficient public health policies requires attention to first and last mile issues. The first mile is about identifying the best solution, the ‘what’: What is the best prophylactic or therapeutic solution? What is the most efficient vaccine? The last mile is about developing the best strategy to ensure the solution reaches its target, the ‘how’: How do we convince people to accept the treatment? How do we make treatments accessible? If the last mile is neglected, then the efforts spent to identify medical or technological solutions risk being wasted. To anticipate and solve last mile issues, it is vital to identify barriers to vaccination uptake and to come up with strategies that maximizes vaccine uptake. Cognitive and behavioural sciences can shed light on these issues and ultimately contribute to better health.