Today we’d like to showcase an example of a strategy to address vaccine-related misinformation among essential workers.
The linked video was made by Dr. Eain Murphy, a Bronx-born virologist, together with the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York (UFA), the union representing the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). Dr. Murphy was a childhood friend of many firefighters. Although he opted for a different career path than his peers, he remained good friends with them, allowing him to become a trusted source of information.
During the first wave of the pandemic in NYC, a study showed that emergency medical service providers and firefighters were 15 times more likely to be infected with Covid-19 than other city residents. Nevertheless, a survey administered by the UFA found that 55% of the firefighters surveyed would NOT get the vaccine. Because they are considered medical responders, FDNY members are currently eligible for vaccination in NY.
To address the high level of refusal, the UFA collected members’ questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and conducted a video chat Q&A — similar to the ones that we Nerdy Girls host every Saturday at 9:30am CST/10:30am EST! (check us out)
Questions Dr. Murphy addressed included:
➡️How does an mRNA vaccine work?
➡️Why do side effects develop?
➡️Why do you need a mask after vaccination?
➡️Should you get the vaccine if you’ve had COVID-19 before?
➡️Does the vaccine affect fertility?
➡️And many others…
The video has been posted to the union’s website and we’ve linked to it below.
All over the country, frontline workers and healthcare personnel have expressed fears about the vaccine, often based on misinformation. Several strategies will be needed to address this high level of hesitancy. More tailored messages will also be needed for different groups of people and in different parts of the country.
We salute the UFA for adopting such a tailored approach for their workforce. We’ll continue to highlight more of these targeted approaches in the weeks to come. But if you know of strategies in your area that are being used to address hesitancy and misinformation, let us know!
LINKS:
Q&A with Dr. Eain Murphy
Study on COVID-19 risk to emergency responders in NYC
On FDNY poll related to vaccine acceptance
