All adults in America are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Employers can encourage vaccine uptake by communicating with workers about the safety and benefits of getting vaccinated. Yesterday, we partnered with Facebook to host a Town Hall on Vaccine Communications, where experts shared messaging strategies to educate, encourage, and support workers.

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Tips for Vaccine Communications

We’ve distilled some of the key advice from yesterday’s event into three actions your company can take to encourage employees to get vaccinated:

• "Shaming is a strategy that doesn’t work,” de Beaumont Foundation President and CEO, Dr. Brian Castrucci, said. “Here’s what every employer should be saying: ‘I understand you have questions about the vaccine. How can I help address them?’ We need a dialog and a safe place to answer questions. We don’t need debate.” Our Conversation Guide for Managers can help foster impactful conversations around vaccination with your workforce.
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• Many employees who are still undecided can be persuaded with more information about vaccine safety and efficacy, as well as positive messages that offer hope. Dr. Chinni Pulluru, Walmart’s Senior Director of Clinical Transformation, Innovation, and Operations, shared creative ways that the company is delivering trusted information and making it easier for employees and customers to get vaccinated.
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• “Misinformation thrives in the absence of trusted information,” Facebook’s Head of Health, Kang-Xing Jin, said. “We need to help people get these answers in accessible and empathetic ways.” Jin encouraged employers to invite public health experts to speak with workers, building on recent findings from Washington State University that speaking with a medical professional increases the likelihood of getting vaccinated during a pandemic.

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Communications Resources

We offer a wide range of trusted tools to help you share up-to-date vaccine facts and engage workers, including:

• Communications Guidance for Businesses
• Key Messages for Employees
• Audience Insights and Messaging Guidance for Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
• Conversation Guide for Managers
• Sample CEO Email
• Social Media Toolkit