Thread by @ShikhaJainMD

A lot of people are asking me how I talk to people about getting vaccinated. I'll share a short thread here. This is by all means not all encompassing so please share your own experiences and tips below!

The first thing I always do is I try to find out the "Why?" My first question is always "Would you mind telling me why you haven't gotten the vaccine yet?" But I always ask in a neutral non accusatory way. You don't want to put the person on the defensive.

Next, listen. This is KEY. Let the person explain why they haven't gotten it yet. This is so so important. People are less likely to listen to what you have to say if you don't listen to what their concerns are.

I have found people fall into a few categories in general as to why they haven't yet gotten the vaccine. Again, this is not a comprehensive list so please include more below.

1. The person who has read misinformation online that does not sound completely out there, but could actually be true if you didn't know all the information (e.g. the vaccine impacts fertility). I try to explain the factual science and explain the confusion around the topic

For example regarding fertility, I tell people that its a misconception the vaccine causes fertility issues, and in actuality, the #COVID19 VIRUS can cause erectile dysfunction! Most people I have spoken to do not know this. I also direct them to reputable sources.

2. The people who have read misinformation that is off the wall, e.g. their are microchips in the vaccine. In this case I try and personalize and tell them myself, my husband, my parents, in-laws and brother were all first in line when it was their turn.

And that my kids were going to get it as soon as available to them. I ask them if they think I would put my own family at risk if their were microchips in the vaccine? I sometimes make a joke that none of us have grown horns or tails yet which usually gets a laugh.

3. The people who feel the vaccine rolled out too fast. I explain to them the mRNA technology has actually been around for decades! This is just the first time we have found a virus it works against. And the fact that we could enroll so many people so quickly is not common.

Most clinical trials take years to gain that number of people. PLUS in real world examples millions of people have gotten the vaccine and there have been hardly any issues.

4. The people worried about long term impacts of getting the vaccine. I explain to them that vaccines in general do not cause long term complications. We KNOW that #COVID19 the VIRUS causes long term complications. So even if doesn't kill you, it may cause health problems for yrs

5. The people who say they won't get that sick bc they are otherwise healthy. A few things to say to them. First, u may not get that sick but may end up with long term medical problems. And while u may not get that sick, your kids or grandparents might when you give it to them.

6. The I've been healthy so far so why should I get the vaccine now. Well, the #DeltaVariant is much more contagious now than previous variants. So the chance of you getting it now is MUCH higher than it was a year ago. And same for the chance of you spreading it.

Plus, many businesses will start to require vaccination status before coming in, so get the vaccine now so you can continue to live in normal society.

7. People who think we get paid to give out the vaccine. I tell my patients the longer I spend talking to you about this, the more money I LOSE because it's taking away time from seeing more patients. So I am actually doing myself a DISSERVICE spending all of this time talking.

8. This is a BIG one. As an oncologist especially. I tell my patients, you trust me with your medical decisions. You trust me when I say you need a certain medication, or surgery. You trust me to give you chemo which is WAY more toxic than this vaccine every will be.

Why do you entrust me with your medical care but in this one case you lose your trust in me? Every ounce of my training, every moment of my career, every second of our visit and after, I am thinking about how to help you, how to care for you, how to take care of you.

Why would you trust all of my medical expertise for everything else, but not trust me on this life saving vaccine? I am using the same medical degree to recommend this as I am the rest of your treatment plan.

9. The patients who have talked to others in healthcare who recommend against it. I ask those patients if I can talk to the person who gave them that advice bc I genuinely would like to know what concerns they expressed. Often times they do not connect me with those people.

But the fact that I am willing to talk to them is a big deal because it means I am willing to listen to their concerns. I think it's pretty universal at this point that all reputable respected qualified HCW are not only recommending, but begging people to get vaccinated.

These are some of my initial talking points. I have more but I would like to hear what others have to share as well. I think the biggest thing in these conversations is approaching with respect and kindness. Everyone wants to do what they think is best.

Everyone cares about their own health and their family. They want to do what they think is safe. There has been so much dangerous misinformation out there, I can understand why people are confused. So don't accuse them of not caring, or insult peoples intelligence.

Get to their level, understand what their concerns are, and have a discussion. Show them your resources, explain the science, but most importantly, listen. You won't be able to convince everyone, but every shot in an arm helps.

You can check out a great resource by @IMPACT4HC with extensive fact/myth infographics that can also be very useful in having these conversations. I have patients print them out and give them to their family and friends.
impact4hc.com/impact-infogra…