PurposeThe purpose of this rapid scoping review was to map existing literature on risk communication strategies implemented by authorities and aimed at vulnerable immigrants in the context of pandemics.Design/methodology/approachExisting literature on the topic was charted in terms of its nature and volume by summarizing evidence regarding the communication strategies. Literature searches were conducted in Academic Search Premier and CINAHL, databases were searched from 2011 to present on March 31, 2021.FindingsFive articles met the criteria and were included in this review, pointing at limited research in this area. The findings indicated that a close interaction between communication authorities and immigrants is important. Community education, building trust in communication sources, clear risk communication and inclusive decision-making among all were found to be important when communicating health risks to immigrants.Research limitations/implicationsThe primary limitation of this rapid scoping review is that the literature searches were conducted in only two databases, namely, Academic Search Premier and CINAHL. A wider search across several other databases could have given more profound results. Furthermore, some studies where immigrants were conceptualized as, for instance, “disadvantaged groups” might be overseen due to a choice of the search strategy used in this study. There are also certain limitations related to the studies included in this review.Practical implicationsIdentifying efficient ways of conveying recommendations may further assist authorities and scientists in developing more effective health-related risk communication.Originality/valueThis study covered health-related risk communication in the context of pandemics, addressing the need to investigate different groups of immigrants and the challenges related to communicating risks to these groups.

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Objectives: As a risk communication tool, social media was mobilised at an unprecedented level during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined health authorities’ risk communication on social media in response to the pandemic in 2020.Methods: We analysed 1,633 COVID-19-related posts from 15 social media accounts managed by official health authorities in Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.Results: The rate at which the authorities posted about COVID-19 on social media fluctuated throughout 2020. Each account’s posting frequency peaked between March and May 2020, before dropping considerably during the summer. The messages that the organisations focused on also varied throughout the year but covered most risk communication guidelines. Yet, our analysis highlighted themes that were communicated infrequently, such as long COVID or exercising during the pandemic.Conclusion: With more individuals now following health authorities on social media, platforms such as Instagram hold great potential for future risk communication campaigns and strategies.

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Existing research on vacation-related choices in couples concentrates on variables related to roles and influence in attempt to explain decision-making processes. However, as experienced from 2019–2021 COVID pandemic, travel-related decisions in couples may be characterized by higher complexity and risks, both in relation to health and economy. As the consequences of such decisions may affect both partners, the couples might benefit from a collaborative approach. This study investigates how certain known facilitators of group collaboration are associated with romantic couples’ perception of collaboration in the context of vacation choices. The data were collected by means of a cross sectional design, and 112 individuals from Norway who were in romantic relationships completed the survey. Multi-item scales were used and validated with factor analysis; the hypotheses were tested using multiple regression. Four of the five hypotheses were empirically supported, and shared experiences, flexibility, engagement, and partners’ support positively affected the perception of collaborative decision-making. No effect was found for role exchange. The results of this study may help to gain a better understanding of how couples make decisions together, and how firms can adapt their communication and service design to increase their appeal to this large tourism segment.