The Cherokee Nation is one of many tribes in OK who have been at the forefront of vaccination efforts statewide, but people remain hesitant, writes @jackhealyNYT. nytimes.com/2021/03/16/us/…
People remain reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to "questions about the vaccines’ efficacy, side effects and the speed they made it to market."
More on vaccine hesitancy from @jackhealyNYT's article: "Others just seemed to want a nudge. At a Walmart providing shots, unvaccinated shoppers said they were not so much opposed as just waiting. For more information. For a doctor’s recommendation. For more people to take it."
About 67% of people in the United States have gotten one dose of a vaccine, and 60% are fully vaccinated. Effective #SciComm will be crucial to reach the last third or so.
#SciComm and #HealthComm about the #COVID19 vaccine must address these issues. It must answer unresolved questions about the vaccines and continue to provide expert insights from health professionals regarding safety and efficacy. Risks should be discussed in proper context.
While we are far from our days of peak COVID cases, the pandemic is far from over. As the delta variant takes hold in KS/MO and here in OK, #SciComm messaging must communicate that, just because vaccinated people might still get COVID if exposed, the vaccine is not ineffective.
#PandemicSciComm is about a lot more than communicating boring facts. It requires understanding of your audience's concerns, goals, beliefs, values, etc. #SciComm professionals have been at the forefront of the COVID pandemic and continue to be crucial to public health efforts.
If you've got anything to add about the challenges of #SciComm in a pandemic, especially as related to COVID vaccines, let me know. Thanks for reading and please share to keep the conversation about #PandemicSciComm going.
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