Vaccine Hesitancy

ADDRESSING VACCINE HESITANCY

OUTLINE

I. What is vaccine hesitancy? II. Populations most affected III. What can we do about it as pharmacists?

SUMMARY

Vaccine hesitancy is becoming a more pronounced concern within healthcare and public health as COVID-19 immunization becomes more readily available and information (or misinformation) is spread rapidly through social media. Vaccine hesitancy has been of issue in previous years regarding annual influenza immunizations, as well as other readily available immunizations including MMR, Shingrix, and Tdap, to name a few. Hesitancy can be attributed to personal patient beliefs, information provided, lack of trust in public health, lack of information available about the vaccine, and coincidental relationships to health outcomes.1 Hesitancy can also be enhanced with the use of novel mechanisms such as mRNA technology and new vaccine availability. Alongside individual concern regarding COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy could also prolong pandemic restrictions for the general population.

While vaccine hesitancy is prevalent across many populations, there are several that healthcare professionals should be aware of to provide the best possible care. In Iowa, although minority groups are also hesitant, the dominant population includes those living in rural communities. This makes up approximately 43% of the total state population. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the implications for vaccine hesitancy and make efforts for the vaccine to be available at locations that reach individuals living in rural communities, where barriers in accessing a vaccine may contribute to the concern. Other populations at greater risk for COVID-19, such as those with comorbid conditions and elderly persons, should also be considered at a high level for risk of vaccine hesitancy.

The CDC recommends the following actions to build confidence in vaccines, specifically the COVID-19 immunization3: 1. Encourage leaders in your family, community, or organizations to be vaccine champions. 2. Have discussions with your friends and family about vaccinations to understand their perspective and encourage their decision to get vaccinated. 3. Share key messages through multiple channels that people trust and that promote action. 4. Help educate people about COVID-19 vaccines, how they are developed and monitored for safety, and how individuals can talk to others about the vaccines. 5. Learn more about finding credible vaccine information. When you come across COVID-19 information, cross-check with

CDC.gov and learn how to respond to misinformation you encounter. 6. When a vaccine is offered to you, make your decision to get vaccinated visible and celebrate it!

Concerns may be rising due to the pause in distribution and administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to reports of an extremely rare disorder involving blood clots in combination with low platelets observed in a small number of individuals following vaccination. IPA continues to collaborate with several national organizations, including ASHP and APhA, to develop and distribute resources to aid in having conversations with patients regarding vaccine hesitancy. Iowa pharmacists are well-equipped to have these conversations with their patients with an aim to decrease the number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths associated with COVID-19.

SOURCES: 1. Salmon DA, Dudley MZ, Glanz JM, Omer SB. Vaccine hesitancy: Causes, consequences, and a call to action. Vaccine. 2015;33 Suppl 4:D66-D71. doi:10.1016/j. vaccine.2015.09.035 2. https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/playback/Playback.do?id=3lj71 3. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/vaccinate-with-confidence.html