Novel board game highlights importance of pneumonia vaccination

A new board game, designed thanks to a grant from the Healthy Lungs for Life campaign, has helped raise awareness of the importance of vaccination against pneumonia.

Developed by a group of nurses from the University of Torino and led by Dr Marco Clari, the board game was launched at the SHARPER (SHAring Researchers’ Passion for Engaging Responsiveness) Night event in Italy.

A key message of the game was how to protect a population and an individual from pneumonia, by navigating between lies and misinformation. Players can try to fail in the safe space of the game and receive feedback on the choices they make. The game aimed to sharpen critical thinking skills and increase understanding and acceptance of public health choices. Players were also able to take home an information booklet, which summarised what they had learnt.

Over 150 people played the game during the event. The game’s developers reported positive feedback, with many players saying they had learnt something new and would share these messages with their friends and family. The next step will be to launch the game in different settings, such as outpatient clinics and family nurse visits. The developers hope to create new stories to incorporate different vaccines in the future.