This year, World Immunization Week falls in the middle of our nation’s urgent efforts to vaccinate people against COVID-19.
Few people remember when preventable diseases like polio swept across the nation. We can thank immunizations for that. Now, as we look to come out of a pandemic, vaccines will once again be the key to eradicating disease and bringing us back together.
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Community organizations lay the foundation for immunizations
The pandemic is shifting where people get vaccines and who is willing to get them.
We so often think about receiving immunizations at the doctor’s office or at our local pharmacy. But now we’re seeing people getting vaccinated in recreation centers, churches, concert venues and at state fairgrounds. Bringing vaccination sites directly into the community not only makes the vaccine more visible, but it also makes it much more accessible. During a time when many people are facing additional transportation challenges or are fearful to leave the home or go into a medical facility, these local options will help raise vaccination rates and help us achieve herd immunity faster.
Many times, the people who live most at-risk are the least likely to trust the health system. For BlPOC communities, this can often be attributed to a long history of medical abuse, racism, medical experimentation and a health system that doesn’t take the concerns of BIPOC individuals as seriously as White populations.
These individuals are much more likely to trust their local organizations and leaders. Someone who sees that the local school is hosting a vaccination site, or who hears about the vaccine from their faith-based leader, is more likely to think about getting the vaccine.
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Building vaccine confidence in your community
While World Immunization Week focuses on global efforts to vaccinate, improving vaccinations rates happens at a local level. Community-based organizations are uniquely positioned to help their neighborhoods get vaccinated against COVID-19 — helping to build confidence in all vaccines.
These communications strategies can help your organization get the word out about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Share about the vaccine on your social platforms. Sharing credible information about the vaccine on your website and social media platforms not only helps educate those in your community about the vaccine, but shows that your organization and its leaders trust and support immunizations.
Try this: Share pictures of your team getting vaccinated to normalize getting vaccinated. Consider including a statement from one or two team members of what it is like to get the vaccine, including safety precautions being taken and whether the site requires insurance information.
Promote local vaccination sites. Making it easy for people to identify a vaccination site in your community is an easy step toward getting them signed up for the vaccine. This includes sharing resources that connect individuals with local transportation options. This helps make sure individuals with access limitations, who are often already living at a higher risk of contracting the virus, can get the vaccine.
Try this: Share links to state and local vaccine appointment websites to guide people to resources that will help them find an available appointment. Consider sharing social posts from local vaccine sites as they release more information about eligibility and available appointments.
Utilize your newsletter and other communications to promote the vaccine. Highlighting resources in your regular communications can help keep vaccines top of mind and show that you care about the health of your community.
Try this: Include a note about local vaccination options in your next direct mail or electronic newsletter, or write a blog about the benefits of getting vaccinated. Include information for getting an appointment and a number to contact with questions or for more information on the vaccine.
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Community-based organizations have spent time earning the trust of their communities. Now, it’s time to use these relationships to help keep our neighborhoods healthy and resilient.
Are you looking for a partner to help your organization remain resilient through crisis? Get in touch with Mindsailing.