Vaccine Confidence Toolkit

 

To: Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities From: HFEMSD Residential Care Strike Team Dear Staff/Resident/Family Members, By now you have probably learned about the COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved and are being distributed to the healthcare workers and residents in long term care facilities. We have long awaited these exciting developments and understand that some of you may be concerned about the safety of these new vaccines as they have been developed and tested far more quickly than those in the past. We want to assure you that the speed with which these vaccines were developed is not due to skipping important safety steps, but rather the result of focused, collaborative work performed by experts across the globe. Vaccines approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have undergone the same level of rigorous testing for safety and efficacy as other vaccines, and have been tested in tens of thousands of people, including older adults. Two independent advisory committees of experts from academic institutions also monitor vaccines to ensure their safety. Most of the COVID-19 vaccines require two separate doses given about three or four weeks apart, depending on the vaccine. Participants of clinical trials have reported experiencing short-term side effects after being vaccinated, with more pronounced discomfort after the second dose. These possible side effects include headache, muscle pains, fatigue, chills, fever and pain at the injection site.  Sometimes there is misunderstanding about the cause of these reactions, as you may have heard someone say a vaccine has “made them sick” or given them the disease that the vaccine was intended to prevent. We want to be clear that this is not the case. The COVID-19 vaccine cannot give you a COVID-19 infection. The vaccine works by helping the body create antibodies to fight off the virus. Feeling discomfort after getting the vaccine means that the vaccine is doing its job and your body is making antibodies. We are confident that the worldwide, unprecedented scientific achievement of these COVID-19 vaccines will eventually enable us to enjoy life with our loved ones again. We are providing a list of resources below to utilize with your fellow staff, residents, and family members. These resources include frequently asked questions, strategies to implement at your facility, and links to a variety of vaccine confidence toolkits. We have also compiled a list of online informational vaccine sessions here. We encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions about COVID-19 vaccination and are more than happy to assist with your vaccine confidence education and outreach. Sincerely, The Residential Care Strike Team residentialcarestriketeam@state.co.us Resources/Toolkits CDPHE Vaccine Toolkit Communication Resources Print Materials  Videos Social Media Toolkit Multilingual Resources CDC Long-Term Care Facility Toolkit COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit CMDA Q&A on the COVID-19 Vaccine Strategies for Improving Staff & Resident Confidence in the COVID 19 Vaccine COVID-19 Vaccine: Answers to Your Questions (.pdf presentation) LTC DON Podcast AHCA/NCAL #GetVaccinated Communications Toolkit