Read on Twitter
This past week has seen a lot of discussion on vaccines and vaccine hesitancy. Before joining Twitter this year, I spent a lot of time addressing this on vaccine-on-the-fence and mom groups on Facebook. Here are the things I learned: things that worked and what didn’t:
1- Understand they come from a place of fear. Fear is often not rational or logical. Empathize with the fear. Understand it. Many are new parents trying to keep their baby safe, clouded with all the constant vaccine misinformation they encounter.
2- Academics love speaking in jargon. Guilty of doing this myself. Don’t inundate with complex data/numbers - people don’t understand this and you lose them before you even begin.
If you can, package info in easy to understand infographics. Be clear, concise, consistent.
If you can, package info in easy to understand infographics. Be clear, concise, consistent.
3- Remember that many BIPOC communities are distrustful of medicine, healthcare, vaccinations - and with good reason due to a long legacy of racism.
Need a trauma informed culturally sensitive approach to gain back trust.
Need a trauma informed culturally sensitive approach to gain back trust.
4- Make it personable. Share stories.
Hands down the most success I’ve had to combat vaccine hesitancy is by sharing the story of a boy in my class who had polio and wore a brace.
I didn’t grow up in North America. I’ve seen first hand the difference vaccines make.
Hands down the most success I’ve had to combat vaccine hesitancy is by sharing the story of a boy in my class who had polio and wore a brace.
I didn’t grow up in North America. I’ve seen first hand the difference vaccines make.
5- Partner with communities. Engage with local community organizations, especially CHCs working. Consult with them to understand the challenges faced by their communities and leverage the trust they have built over decades with their communities.
6- Take the time to explain. People are understandably wary of the speed of the Covid vaccine trials. I have explained what ‘event driven’ means to people more this year than I have my entire life.
7- Understand there is a basis for their concern. It has been such an incredible year for scientific innovation, but the war on science for past decade has been chipping away at the soul of science. This will take time and effort to win trust back. But it must be done.
