GHPC Releases Resources to Support Productive Conversations About COVID-19 Vaccines

Being a good listener and having empathy are two good qualities, but did you know that they are two effective strategies to having productive conversations about COVID-19 vaccines?

People who remain unvaccinated continue to be at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization, and death. With new, updated COVID-19 boosters available for all people 5 years and older,* now is a good time to have conversations about getting vaccinated again or for the first time.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (as of Sept 15, 2022),

• 79.3% of the U.S. population has had at least one vaccine dose
• 67.7% completed their primary series
• 48.6% has had one booster

Yet, this means that 70% are not up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, meaning that they are either unvaccinated, have not completed their primary series, or have not gotten a booster dose, yet.

The Georgia Health Policy Center (GHPC) undertook focus group research and an extensive review of the literature to identify several vaccine-related questions and myths. To address the interest in access to accurate, understandable, and complete information to support informed decision-making, the team created these resources to address information gaps.

“Considering the increase in COVID-19 cases expected this fall and the continued loss of life, particularly among people with underlying medical conditions, older adults, and those who are unvaccinated, we see these resources as helpful in supporting professionals and individuals to respond to the continued opportunity to enhance protection against COVID-19 through vaccination,” says Kristi Fuller, an assistant project director at GHPC. “While health care providers remain a top source of information about COVID-19 vaccines, it is also critical that trusted family members, friends, care providers, and coworkers can save lives by opening the door to a conversation or providing support to someone in their vaccine journey.”

Recognizing the importance of having conversations about COVID-19 to promote public health, the Georgia Health Policy Center developed a series of resources to help community members and direct care professionals have these conversations.

These resources provide answers to some of the most common questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, including what we know about developing the vaccines, receiving the vaccines, overcoming barriers (cost and access), and addressing the most common myths cited by people not wanting to get vaccinated. GHPC’s resources focused on vaccine confidence include:

• COVID-19 Vaccines: Frequently Asked Questions
• Tips for Productive Conversations
• Identifying Credible Sources for Vaccine Information
• Direct Care Professionals Quick Guide and Training
• Service Provider Quick Guide and Training
• COVID-19 Vaccination Decision Trees

*It is recommended that all people ages 5 years and older who completed their primary series receive a bivalent booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose. For more information on staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html