Reflecting on a Global Pandemic Response

Looking back on the COVID-19 global pandemic now feels like revisiting another era.

During 2020–2022, governments, healthcare systems, operational teams and communities were navigating an environment filled with uncertainty, rapidly changing information and extraordinary pressure.

On 22 March 2020, Grantley Stevens, Commissioner of Police and State Co-ordinator for South Australia under the Emergency Management Act 2004, declared a Major Emergency in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 within South Australia.

What followed was one of the largest and most significant public health mobilisation efforts in modern history.

During this period, I worked as a Principal Consultant through Myriad Ardor Consulting, supporting SA Health’s COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics program across:

• Adelaide Showground (Wayville)
• Kilkenny Vaccination Clinic
• Adelaide CBD Myer Centre Vaccination Clinic

The role involved leading communications, engagement and behavioural change initiatives across multiple operational and public-facing environments during an extremely fast-moving and constantly evolving period.

In addition to supporting communications across the three vaccination clinics, I was also responsible for broader Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) communications and booster campaign messaging aligned with SA Health’s strategic direction during the pandemic response.

This included developing communication strategies and internal messaging frameworks to support the rollout of COVID-19 booster vaccination requirements and mandates for healthcare workers across the CALHN region.

The work required:
• strategic communication planning
• behavioural change messaging
• stakeholder coordination
• healthcare workforce communications
• operational messaging rollout
• rapid content development within evolving policy environments

Messaging needed to remain:
• clear
• accurate
• timely
• sensitive to workforce concerns
• aligned with SA Health and Government direction during a highly complex public health response environment.

Supporting Public Health Communication During Uncertainty

At the time, several COVID-19 vaccines were becoming available within Australia, including:
• Pfizer
• AstraZeneca
• Moderna
• Novavax

Public communication during this period required:
• accuracy
• speed
• adaptability
• operational coordination
• community trust
• stakeholder alignment

Messaging changed rapidly as governments, healthcare systems and public health authorities responded to evolving medical advice, operational requirements and community concerns.

Within this environment, my role focused on driving communication and engagement activities aligned with SA Health’s strategic direction and public health objectives.

This included:
• communications strategy development
• behavioural change messaging
• public-facing campaign materials
• operational communication support
• stakeholder coordination
• environmental branding and signage
• clinic activation support
• day-to-day communication management

The environment was highly dynamic, requiring continuous updates across multiple media and communication platforms to ensure messaging remained:
• current
• accurate
• compliant
• accessible
• aligned with SA Health communications and Government direction

The Opening of the Novavax Clinic

One of the key moments during this period was the opening of the Novavax COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic within the Adelaide Myer Centre.

I reflected recently on the morning of 22 February 2022 — finalising communications installations, environmental graphics and directional decals across the Adelaide CBD ahead of the Novavax clinic launch on 23 February 2022.

At the time, Novavax represented an important alternative vaccine option for some members of the community, and the clinic rollout formed part of the broader public health response strategy across South Australia.

The Myer Centre location provided:
• accessibility within the Adelaide CBD
• high public visibility
• centralised community access
• operational convenience for city workers and visitors

The activation required coordination across:
• communications
• operations
• environmental signage
• public messaging
• stakeholder engagement
• behavioural change initiatives

Behavioural Change & Community Engagement

One of the most significant lessons from the pandemic was the importance of behavioural change communication.

Public health communication during COVID-19 extended far beyond simply sharing information.

It also required:
• building public confidence
• reducing misinformation
• encouraging participation
• supporting accessibility
• maintaining trust within communities
• adapting messaging to rapidly changing environments

Behavioural change strategies were critical in supporting:
• vaccination uptake
• public participation
• operational flow within clinics
• community awareness
• engagement across diverse demographic groups

The communication environment was unlike anything many communications professionals had previously experienced.

Every day required:
• adaptability
• responsiveness
• rapid content development
• stakeholder coordination
• operational problem-solving

Creativity Within Operational Environments

Despite the seriousness of the pandemic, creativity still played an important role.

Throughout the vaccination program, communications and environmental branding helped transform highly operational spaces into environments that felt:
• more accessible
• more welcoming
• easier to navigate
• less intimidating for the public

This included:
• environmental graphics
• directional signage
• public engagement materials
• clinic branding
• activation campaigns
• child-friendly engagement concepts across selected clinics

The work reinforced how communications, design and engagement strategies can significantly influence public experience within operational and crisis-response environments.

Looking Back

Like many people involved in the pandemic response, I find the period now feels both distant and unforgettable.

At the time, the work was fast-moving, intense and highly operational.

Looking back now, these projects form part of a significant period in South Australian and global history.

I remain incredibly proud to have contributed to initiatives that supported:
• public health outcomes
• community engagement
• behavioural change communication
• operational delivery during a global crisis

These experiences also reinforced the important role communications professionals can play during periods of uncertainty, complexity and large-scale social disruption.

Final Reflection

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged governments, healthcare systems, organisations and communities in unprecedented ways.

It also demonstrated the importance of:
• clear communication
• adaptability
• collaboration
• creativity
• operational resilience
• community trust

The opening of the Novavax clinic at the Adelaide Myer Centre represents just one small part of a much larger public health response effort that involved countless healthcare workers, operational teams, communications professionals and frontline staff working under extraordinary circumstances.

Looking back now, these projects are more than operational milestones.

They are part of the historical record of how communities responded, adapted and came together during one of the most significant global events of our generation.

-Industry commentary and project reflections written by Tarnia Riggs.

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