Coronavirus vaccination outreach resources for community-based organizations

Coping with COVID-19

Getting enough people vaccinated to achieve herd immunity is critical to saving lives and enabling the country to recover from the devastation of the pandemic, yet as of July 2021, around half of U.S. adults were still unvaccinated. This guide shares tools and information from trusted sources that will help community-based organizations encourage and communicate about COVID-19 vaccination within their communities.

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are experts in outreach and education. From guiding low-income families through the process of buying their first home to helping veterans understand and use the benefits available to them, community educators strengthen their neighborhoods and improve the lives of the individuals and families they serve.

When the COVID-19 crisis struck, in early 2020, many CBOs were required to redirect their efforts to helping their clients survive the pandemic—both literally, through preventive health education, and financially, by informing their communities about the various types of economic assistance programs available to help keep them afloat.

While the availability of a vaccine provides hope for a return to normal life, around half of U.S. adults were still unvaccinated as of early July 2021. Getting enough people vaccinated to achieve herd immunity is critical to reducing coronavirus-related illness and death, particularly in the elderly, immunocompromised and other vulnerable populations. CBOs are, again, vital to the effort to move our communities from “survive” to “thrive.”

The following are tools and information from trusted sources that will help you encourage and communicate about COVID-19 vaccination within your communities.

Community-Based Organizations COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit: Educating Communities on the Importance of COVID-19 Vaccines

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Our national public health agency has prepared this toolkit for the staff of organizations serving communities affected by COVID-19. It is designed to help your organization share clear and accurate information to educate community members about COVID-19 vaccines, raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination, and address common questions and concerns. The kit includes a wide range of customizable tools, including key messages that can be adapted to resonate with your community, fact sheets, posters, a template letter/email, a PowerPoint presentation, social media messaging, blog posts, newsletter content, infographics, a COVID-19 fact sheet, and even a fotonovela and printable stickers. (See also “COVID-19 Vaccine Resources For Community-Based Organizations,” a CDC-compiled list of resources, many targeted for specific regions and audiences.)

Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

CDC

Also from the CDC, this bulleted list of COVID vaccine benefits covers everything from the vaccine’s safety and its effectiveness in preventing COVID-related illness and death to the prospect of being able to return to our pre-pandemic lives.

We Can Do This: COVID-19 Public Education Campaign

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The campaign to get as many Americans as possible vaccinated by July 4 offers various tools, including vaccine hesitancy data by county, and free guides, ads, social media messages and other materials for outreach to diverse communities. Signing up to join the COVID-19 Community Corps means you’ll get timely, accurate information to help you build vaccine confidence in your community.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: 12 Things You Need to Know

Johns Hopkins Medicine

The chief diversity officer at the highly esteemed medical research university, who specializes in diabetes, heart conditions and patterns of disease in diverse communities, shares 12 facts and insights on what getting the vaccine means for you and your family.

COVID-19 Disinformation Toolkit

U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

This toolkit is designed to help state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) officials bring awareness to misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories appearing online related to COVID-19’s origin, scale, government response, prevention and treatment. Tools include talking points, FAQs, outreach graphics and posters to help spread awareness.

COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Toolkit

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente’s toolkit focuses on identifying and addressing barriers to vaccine confidence. Organizations can use the framework to identify areas of opportunity and selectively engage any combination of these strategies to enhance vaccination programs and build public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine. The tool breaks down the various “vaccine confidence archetypes” (Reluctant Vaxxers, Cautious Supporters, Concerned Skeptics, etc.) and recommends targeted approaches that “Trusted Messengers” (such as CBO staff) can use to increase speed and level of vaccination across groups.

COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

National Rural Health Association (NRHA)

Understanding that there are unique issues and viewpoints that stakeholders face when conducting vaccine outreach and education in rural communities, the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) has compiled an extensive toolkit. Included are conversation starters and public service announcements developed in partnership with the COVID Collaborative, the Health Action Alliance, and the Ad Council, as well as links to resources for particular trusted messengers, including faith leaders and agricultural leaders. Some materials can be co-branded with your organization’s logo. (If your organization has produced relevant rural COVID-19 vaccine resources that you would like added to the toolkit, contact NRHA at [email protected] to request their inclusion.)

Greater Than COVID: The Conversation/La Conversación

Kaiser Family Foundation

In a series of short Q&A videos, Latinx doctors, nurses and promotoras and black doctors, nurses and researchers provide facts and dispel misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. All the content is available rights-free and designed to be shared on social media. The videos also can be embedded on your website from YouTube.

5 Effective Messaging Strategies to Encourage COVID-19 Vaccination

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc.

JSI, a public healthcare and health systems consulting and research company, shares five tips for communicating effectively about vaccines in the community (visit the webpage for more about each tip):

• Focus on vaccine acceptance instead of vaccine hesitancy.
• Dispel misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.
• Use testimonials and personal stories to compel others to get vaccinated.
• Put potential side effects in context.
• Talk with your friends and family about getting vaccinated.

For more advice about how to have a productive conversation about COVID-19 vaccines and overcome vaccination hesitancy, do an online search for the phrase “how to talk to someone about COVID vaccination,” or something similar.

Read Consumer Action’s Coping with COVID-19: Distinguishing between vaccine fact and fiction to learn more about overcoming objections to getting vaccinated, explaining why someone should get vaccinated, recognizing and stemming vaccine misinformation and disinformation, and getting vaccinated.

Published / Reviewed Date

Published: July 15, 2021

Download File

Coronavirus vaccination outreach resources for community-based organizations
File Name: Countering-Vaccine-Lies_2021_EN_v1.3.pdf
File Size: 1.21MB

Sponsors

Notes

This guide was created as part of Consumer Action’s COVID-19 Educational Project. Funding provided by AT&T.

Filed Under

COVID-19 Pandemic   ♦   Medical/Healthcare   ♦  

Copyright

© 2020 –2024 Consumer Action. Rights Reserved.