Association Perspective
Scott J. Knoer, MS, PharmD, FASHP, APhA executive vice president and CEO
When Americans choose to forgo vaccines, they gamble with their lives. The proof is right there in black and white: The most recent CDC data available at press time show that more than 97% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated in late July that 99.5% of patients who are dying from COVID-19 are unvaccinated.
Now August’s designation as National Immunization Awareness Month is much more than a page in a calendar. If our nation doesn’t raise COVID-19 vaccination rates, Americans will die. We’ve already lost too many of our patients to this virus. Pharmacists have for more than a year saved the world by providing accessible vaccines and myth-busting vaccine education, and the fight is far from over. APhA wants to arm all the frontline pharmacy heroes with the tools to fuel our mission.
You may already know that APhA is collaborating with CDC and other health stakeholders for the Vaccine Confident campaign, which supports the agency’s efforts to vaccinate all Americans against COVID-19. Together, APhA and CDC have developed a comprehensive array of resources that help pharmacy teams build their own confidence and communicate the importance of vaccination using science, shared knowledge, and experiences with patients.
Visit vaccineconfident.pharmacist.com to take advantage of what we’ve created.
There’s a library of informative handouts you can share directly with your patients; guidance on increasing vaccine uptake among racial and ethnic minority communities, who have been disproportionately harmed by COVID-19 and whose hesitance is rooted in history; and a collection of success stories that can provide valuable insight and keep you inspired. There are so many incredible innovations—simple and complex—that you too can put into practice.
It’s not easy to reach vaccine-hesitant patients, but we must connect with them to keep them safe and alive. The Vaccine Confident website has videos and quizzes to help you make it happen. You’ll learn the elements of productive vaccine conversations, ways to anticipate concerns and dispel common misperceptions, words and messages that ease fear, and ultimately to make effective recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination.
Your patients know you better than any other health care provider, trust your knowledge, and realize that you’re focused on their well-being. We can’t let the unvaccinated among them slip away. As pharmacists, we can save their lives.
During National Immunization Awareness Month, wield your power as an educator, immunizer, and protector. As always, I’m in awe of the work you do every day to keep your patients and communities safe and healthy. A nation owes you a debt of gratitude, and APhA will never stop fighting for the recognition you deserve.