It’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t know COVID-19 existed. The impact of COVID-19 on our lives, our activities and our freedom has affected us all. The responsibility is ours, as a community, to help stop this virus. We now have a new, safe, and effective tool to help us do that — the COVID-19 vaccine. As healthcare providers, we play a critical role in providing trusted information and ensuring high COVID-19 vaccination coverage in our communities.
Research shows that vaccinations are one of the best ways to protect us, our family and our community from certain diseases like COVID-19, influenza or pneumococcal infections. Vaccines are safe. They are tested and monitored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) before issuing licenses to use vaccines, ensuring their safety. Do your part and get vaccinated for your health, your patients and for the ones you love,” shared Dee Kaser, RN, CDCES, Great Plains QIN Quality Improvement Advisor. Kaser added, “As healthcare providers, we are fortunate to have access to several evidence-based toolkits to help answer questions and build vaccine confidence.”
Resources, Facts and Tools You Can Use
♦ CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit for Community Based Organizations – intended for social service organizations, faith-based organizations, YMCAs/YWCAs, fraternities, school organizations, meal delivery services and senior centers. The toolkit can be used to help educate community members about COVID-19 vaccines, raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination and address common questions and concerns.
♦ CDC Vaccination Toolkit for Long-term Care Facilities – provides long-term care facility administrators and clinical leadership with information and resources to help build vaccine confidence among healthcare personnel and residents. The toolkit also includes tools a facility may use to monitor COVID-19 vaccination side effects among staff and residents.
♦ CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit – Medical centers, clinics, pharmacies, and clinicians can use or adapt these ready-made materials to build confidence about COVID-19 vaccination among your healthcare teams and other staff.
Also, access CDC toolkits for vaccine recipients and essential workers on the CDC Web site.
Many people have questions about the new COVID-19 vaccines. As vaccine recipients’ most-trusted source of information on vaccines, you play a critical role in helping them understand the importance of COVID-19 vaccination, as well as if and when it is likely to be recommended for them.
Visit our COVID-19 page for resources, guidance and education related to COVID-19 and vaccine safety and administration. We have a section for state-based resources. We will do our best to provide relevant and timely information as it becomes available. As we navigate through this uncertain time, we thank you for your efforts every day to keep our community and family members safe.