Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy – the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines – was a major public health concern. In fact, vaccine hesitancy was identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top 10 global threats in 2019. Between 20% and 40% of frontline workers in Los Angeles County have turned down the COVID-19 vaccine, according to County public health officials. We know that vaccine hesitancy is complicated and influenced by a wide range of concerns, including worries about side effects (59%), lack of trust in the government to ensure safety (55%), and concerns the vaccine is too new (53%), according to a recent survey by Kaiser Family Foundation. With the ongoing roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine – and the need for an estimated 70% to 90% of the population to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity – these issues are heightened at the very moment when vaccine acceptance is essential to public health. For this reason, effective COVID-19 vaccination conversations are more critical than ever.

In this webinar we will:

• Explore the unique issues relevant to COVID-19 vaccine decision-making that are likely to impact vaccine hesitancy and acceptance in Los Angeles County
• Share what we have seen and learned on the front-lines of the Los Angeles County vaccination clinics
• Discuss best practices for addressing hesitancy toward accepting the COVID-19 vaccine

Dr. Richard Dang PharmD, APh, BCACP
Chair, CPhA Covid-19 Taskforce Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy,
Community-Based Pharmacy Residency Program Director at the USC School of Pharmacy

Dr. Edith Mirzaian PharmD, BCACP Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
and Assistant Dean of Curriculum at the USC School of Pharmacy

Dr. Paul Simon, MD, MPH
Chief Science Officer at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

Moderated By:

Dr. Steven W. Chen, PharmD, FASHP, FCSHP, FNAP
Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, William A. and Josephine A. Heeres Chair in Community Pharmacy & Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the USC School of Pharmacy

https://usc.zoom.us/j/98477057054

Call-in: +1 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 98477057054