How to Be a Vaccine Advocate

Page 1 Adult Immunizaon Project How to be a Vaccine Advocate Table of Contents Suggesons for Staff in a Dialysis Facility, Transplant Center, or Kidney Care Seng .................................. 2 Protect your health ................................................................................................................................... [...] 4 Talk about which vaccines you have received and your experiences ....................................................... [...] Vaccines, especially those for influenza and COVID-19, do not provide complete ‘sterilizing immunity’ (meaning that you may have some symptoms if you are exposed to the virus).4 Vaccines do reduce your risk for and protect you from serious illness. For example, when the updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine became available in the Fall of 2022, the risk of a COVID hospitalization in older adults [...] By being vaccinated, you also ‘stop the spread’ and preserve your colleagues’ ability to work. [...] The benefits are high; the risk for side effects is low Yes, vaccines have side effects. The most common ones are a sore arm or muscle aches. These are temporary and reversible. [...] If you have heard about any serious side effects on the news – or through your friends or family – and want more information about them, ask your doctor or other health care team members to discuss these with you. [...] Page 4 Suggestions for Engaging in a Dialysis Facility, Transplant Center, or Kidney Care Setting Speaking with your patients about getting vaccinated is important but hard to do. [...] Welcome any questions that may have in return and try to make the discussion more conversational. [...] How to Talk about Vaccines Once your patient has agreed to discuss vaccinations with you, they will most likely have a lot of questions. Here are some frequently asked questions that may help you navigate the path to communications between you and your patients. Why do we need vaccines? Your body needs protective proteins, known as antibodies, that help fight bacteria and infections to prev [...] If you have heard about any on the news – or through your friends or family – and want to get more information about them, ask your doctor or other health care team members to discuss these with you.