COVID-19 & Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy

Vaccine hesitancy is a growing problem in Canada for several reasons, including misinformation, a lack of trust, historic and socio-cultural influences and more. As the most accessible health care professionals, pharmacists have a key role to play in educating patients, while remaining empathetic and respectful.

CPhA has compiled a list of resources to help you provide credible information to your patients, prompting open conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine and promoting increased vaccination acceptance. These resources can guide individualized conversations with patients that address their hesitancies and keep us all safe.

CEP tools and FAQ: Ensuring patient confidence in vaccines
Centre for Effective Practice

The Centre for Effective Practice is one of the largest independent knowledge translation organizations for primary care in Canada. Their COVID-19: Vaccines resource is updated regularly and features a section on ensuring patient confidence, which includes:

• A guide for health care providers that answers many common questions and concerns that patients have about the COVID-19 vaccine
• The PrOTCT PLAN for vaccine discussion, which provides a framework to help approach these difficult conversations with patients
• Up-to-date information about COVID-19 in general, key messages, patient resources and more

COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit For Medical Centers, Pharmacies, and Clinicians
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit, featuring resources on how to build vaccine confidence, fact sheets, FAQs, posters to hang in pharmacies and more. Though an American organization, the CDC is a trusted source for valuable and reliable tools and strategies to promote open conversations, inform patients and increase vaccination acceptance.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook
SciBeh

The COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Handbook is a detailed resource that provides information about the COVID-19 vaccine, how to talk to people about the vaccine and how to challenge misinformation about the vaccines. There are guides available within to help oppose conspiracy theories and myths. It is a good tool for patients wanting information about the vaccine development process, how the vaccine works and other scientific information and evidence. With contributions from scientists and volunteers from a range of academic disciplines, this resource was developed by SciBeh, an organization dedicated to helping behavioural science contribute in a crisis.

Recommendations on the Use of COVID-19 Vaccines
National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI)

For recommendations by the Government of Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on the use of COVID-19 vaccines please refer to the current pages at COVID-19: Canadian Immunization Guide as well as NACI Statements and publications. 

This resource list has been reviewed by CPhA staff and is presented as a short list of credible and reliable sources of information. It is not meant to be exhaustive, and we encourage you to contact your local public health units for information specific to your location.