Trying to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine? These New Tools May Help
- Tech companies like Facebook and Google have been promoting new tools to help connect users to vaccination appointments.
- These tools can not only help people book appointments for a COVID-19 vaccine in their area, they also provide answers to common questions.
- Some of these tools also include features that allow people to share they got vaccinated and encourage others to do the same.
As COVID-19 vaccinations become more accessible to people throughout the United States, what everyone wants to know is, how and where can you make an appointment?
Federal and local health departments have established vaccination sites, while major pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens have set up vaccine clinics in their branches nationwide.
The process of actually getting that vaccination appointment can be frustrating and less clear.
This is where technology steps in.
Tech giants like Facebook and Google have been promoting new tools to help connect users to vaccination appointments and important public health information around the vaccines.
- Tech companies like Facebook and Google have been promoting new tools to help connect users to vaccination appointments.
- These tools can not only help people book appointments for a COVID-19 vaccine in their area, they also provide answers to common questions.
- Some of these tools also include features that allow people to share they got vaccinated and encourage others to do the same.
As COVID-19 vaccinations become more accessible to people throughout the United States, what everyone wants to know is, how and where can you make an appointment?
Federal and local health departments have established vaccination sites, while major pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens have set up vaccine clinics in their branches nationwide.
The process of actually getting that vaccination appointment can be frustrating and less clear.
This is where technology steps in.
Tech giants like Facebook and Google have been promoting new tools to help connect users to vaccination appointments and important public health information around the vaccines.
How helpful are these initiatives?
Whenever social media and “big tech” platforms are discussed as public health tools, experts say it’s a mixed bag when it comes to how effective they are. Some initiatives are more useful than others.
Deborah Glik, ScD, professor in the department of community health sciences at the UCLA School of Public Health, said that a platform like Facebook can be a persuasive communication tool given that it is a media platform that’s connected to a global network of users.
She said about 75 percent of people in the United States use it, which makes it very effective at reaching a wide range of people.
This is why so many wish to spread their message far and wide, and for good and ill — from politicians and marketers to social media influencers and conspiracy theorists.
“To use it effectively, the sender must segment the audience — in this case assume these are people at high risk of being vaccine hesitant — test and pretest what is being communicated, address that particular audience’s major issues and concerns, use spokespersons that this audience can relate to, and use the right persuasive techniques,” Glik told Healthline.
Tyler Wray, PhD, the Edens Family Chair in Healthcare Communications & Technology at the Brown University School of Public Health, echoed Glik in saying that social media and tech platforms are good at spreading awareness about a public health topic and directing people to needed resources.
However, can having more social content on Instagram about the vaccine really convince people who are vaccine hesitant?
“There isn’t a lot of research yet on whether or not social media can change behavior,” said Wray, who also leads the Brown School of Public Health’s academic programs in digital health and behavior.
“We have some good examples of individual studies that show that some social media intervention can change other related behavior, but not necessarily research highlighting vaccines. We don’t really know,” he said.
Wray told Healthline that there isn’t “great consistent evidence” about these kinds of social media campaigns.
They can be effective at “recruiting opinion leaders, or what we may now call influencers,” and getting them to get the word out there about a cause, like the COVID-19 vaccines.
He said one good example in recent years has been spreading information about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an effective treatment of medications that can prevent contracting HIV by about
Wray said that during the advent of PrEP, efforts to recruit opinion leaders and influencers to spread awareness and spur adoption were effective.
He explained that raising awareness about a prescription medication is a different scenario than connecting people to resources as well as fighting against misinformation about a public health push for a mass vaccination program.
Both present different messaging challenges for the medical and public health community.
It’s also difficult for some of these public health campaigns to be noticed in the great sea of a social media news feed.
A public health official is now competing with celebrities, political campaigns, online games, and pictures of your friend’s birthday. How does public health information get noticed then?
“For any communication to get noticed and break through the clutter, a lot of work goes in at the front… just like any good article or marketing campaign or media feed,” Glik said.
“First, understand what the audience is concerned about. Then, pick a few main messages that address those concerns. Then, pick stories and people that audience can relate to communicate those ideas,” she said.
Glik said that, if possible, you should provide supporting evidence about why the health initiative is important.
“Citing sources that are credible is also a good practice. Using multiple platforms and knowing which ones the target audience uses is also key. That is why organized ‘campaigns’ are more effective than single communications,” Glik added.
Wray said that getting through all that social media noise is one of the biggest challenges in these public health efforts.
Nevertheless, Wray said the most effective influence is often a person’s own friends and family.
People are more likely to trust and vet information their friends are sharing.
That’s why sometimes the most effective social media campaign can be for these public health messages to organically filter down to the user.
For example, if your best friend or favorite aunt is sharing information about the COVID-19 vaccine on their social media profile, then you might be more likely to look into it yourself.
The threat of misinformation
Of course, trusting your friends rather than a public health expert brings about a different social media problem: misinformation.
One reason people might be skeptical about efforts from a social media company to use their platform for COVID-19 vaccine resources is the irony that many of those same platforms are the breeding ground for anti-vaccination sentiments.
We’ve seen it before with politics.
Controversial, unvetted opinions centered on conspiracies can spread like wildfire on social media and capture the public’s attention. They can then undermine any sense of confidence in accurate information.
In 2020, the Pew Research Center reported that Americans who rely mainly on social media for their news — about 18 percent of U.S. adults — were more likely to believe false and misleading stories.
For its part, Facebook says it is combatting misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines.
Zuckerberg announced the company worked with the WHO to expand on its previously designated “list of false claims” it will remove from posts on its platforms surrounding COVID-19 and the vaccines.
Besides removing content containing false information, the previously mentioned tags and labels on Facebook and Instagram posts aim to immediately direct people to accurate information about vaccines and the pandemic at large.
Glik said that the main tool we all have at our disposal to combat misinformation and disinformation — separate from these tech companies removing this content themselves — is to “espouse accurate and up-to-date content all the time.”
She said public health experts and vetted resources need to use persuasive techniques, credible spokespeople, and consistent messaging.
Glik explained that this includes positive, simple messages, such as “showing people who are being vaccinated surviving just fine.”
“The media does a disservice by constantly showing people who are not getting the vaccine when in fact the large majority of people are or will be getting immunized, just as the large majority of Americans have been compliant with masking and social distancing guidelines, helping to end the pandemic,” Glik added.
Wray said that a lot of these platforms have been instituting fact-checking initiatives and better methods for screening and removing this damaging, misleading content.
But the problem persists. Bad actors still find ways to peddle disinformation.
Wray said some of these companies find themselves in the quandary of reducing public trust in information if they keep seeing items with a “false” tag appearing over and over again on these platforms.
It’s something of a paradox — trying to ensure people get the information they need while maintaining trust in information in and of itself.
Amplifying the right messages in the fight against COVID-19
Despite the pitfalls of technology, it can be a useful tool to connect people to needed resources, like the COVID-19 vaccines.
“Social media is a platform, albeit a very effective one, to amplify messages if they resonate with the audience,” Glik said.
She explained this is why misinformation and disinformation can also spread easily, especially when national leaders are cheering on those messages.
However, when facing these roadblocks, she said there is hope as well.
“There is no reason why the opposite set of messages from health and public health — about why getting the vaccine is safe and getting vaccinated is the ‘patriotic or the right thing’ to do to protect families and communities and end the pandemic — cannot be just as effective,” she asserted.
“Again, different audiences use different media and platforms, and effective messages that are communicated over multiple channels are more likely to be effective,” Glik said.
How Long Does Immunity from COVID-19 Vaccination Last?
- New research finds that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines provide immunity for at least 6 months.
- But since COVID-19 is so new, experts aren’t sure if immunity will wane after that.
- Experts say more research will have to be done to understand if people will need regular booster shots for COVID-19.
The COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna are highly effective at preventing COVID-19 cases in real-world conditions, and research suggests they should maintain their effectiveness over time.
What remains unclear, however, is exactly how long the vaccines prevent COVID-19, if booster shots may be needed down the road, or if vaccines will need to be tweaked to fight against emerging variants of the virus.
In an
They found that the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines developed by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna prevented 80 percent of cases after the first dose and 90 percent after the second dose.
The frontline workers in the study were tested for COVID-19 every week for 13 weeks.
Researchers said the dearth of positive COVID-19 tests in the study group indicates that the vaccines reduce the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by vaccinated individuals to others.
“Reducing the risk for transmissible infection, which can occur among persons with asymptomatic infection or among persons several days before symptoms onset, is especially important among healthcare personnel, first responders, and other essential and frontline workers given their potential to transmit the virus through frequent close contact with patients and the public,” the report noted.
“There’s more and more evidence showing that… the transmission of the virus after vaccination is likely very low,” Dr. Susan Bailey, an allergist and immunologist and president of the American Medical Association, told Healthline.
Protection lasts for at least 6 months, likely longer
Separately, Pfizer-BioNTech said that the ongoing phase 3 clinical trial of its mRNA vaccine shows that strong immunization persists for at least 6 months among vaccinated individuals.
Researchers found that the vaccine was 100 percent effective against severe disease as defined by the CDC, and 95.3 percent effective against severe COVID-19 as defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The vaccine was also found to be 100 percent effective against one of the main COVID-19 variants (known as B.1.351) currently circulating widely in South Africa.
A study that included 12,000 vaccinated individuals also found “no serious safety concerns” with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the companies announced.
“The good news is that in the 6-month status report from Pfizer, immunity stays very strong, and we anticipate that it will continue to stay strong,” said Bailey.
“These people [in the study] have had the vaccine the longest, and it tells us it lasts at least 6 months,” added Bailey. “But it’s definitely longer than that — it’s not just going to drop off after 6 months. I would have been concerned if efficacy had dropped by a third or half.”
The fact that COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness remained almost unchanged over the span of the study period is an indication that protection will be enduring.
Bailey noted that some vaccines, such as those for measles, mumps, and rubella, generally confer lifetime immunity. Others, such as the flu vaccine, require a new shot every year.
“We don’t know which camp the COVID-19 vaccine will fall into,” she said. “If we do need a booster shot for COVID-19, we do know that it will be easy to produce” thanks to the new mRNA technology, she added.
Bailey said that the vaccines now in use appear to be effective against the COVID-19 variants circulating in the United States. But as the coronavirus continues to mutate, variants could emerge that are more resistant.
“My prediction is that a situation in which we would need to have a booster shot in the future is not because the first dose of vaccine faded but because there is a new variant that might emerge,” she said.
Some cases still expected among vaccinated people
As noted in the research, vaccines don’t completely eliminate the risk of developing COVID-19.
A recent report on 100 COVID-19 cases that occurred in vaccinated people in the state of Washington raised some public alarm.
But experts said such “breakthrough” cases are expected and represent just a fraction of the more than 1 million Washington residents who have been vaccinated.
“Finding evidence of vaccine breakthrough cases reminds us that, even if you have been vaccinated, you still need to wear a mask, practice socially distancing, and wash your hands to prevent spreading COVID-19 to others who have not been vaccinated,” said Dr. Umair A. Shah, secretary of health for the state of Washington.
Keep Your COVID-19 Vaccine Card Safe But Don’t Laminate It. Here’s Why
- When you receive your COVID-19 vaccination, you’ll be given a vaccine card.
- It’s important to hold onto this card because it will serve several important purposes in the future.
- It’s recommended to take a picture or scan of the card and keep the original in a safe place.
- If you lose your card, it’s possible to obtain a replacement card.
When you receive your COVID-19 vaccination, you’ll be given a vaccine card as documentation.
The card will contain your name and birthdate, vaccine manufacturer and lot number, as well as where the vaccine was administered and the date the vaccine was given.
The card will also state if and when you need to return for a booster shot.
In addition to serving as a reminder for when to return for your next shot, there are several other important reasons to keep your vaccine card.
Why it’s important to hold onto your vaccine card
Sarah E. Lynch, PharmD, a pharmacist and pharmacy faculty at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, said one important reason to hold onto your vaccine card is the possibility that you might experience an adverse event.
If the event is linked to a particular lot number of the vaccine, having this information will allow for the connection to be made between what you are experiencing and the vaccine lot you received.
With the card, you’ll also know when you received your last dose if it turns out that future booster doses are needed.
S. Wesley Long, MD, PhD, a researcher at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, added that knowing which vaccine you received could influence the composition of any future booster that you might receive.
Also, Long noted that proof of vaccination might be required for travel, work, school, volunteering, or activities as we move forward.
Nicole J. Hassoun, MA, PhD, a philosophy professor at Binghamton University, said that in addition to providing short-term proof of vaccination, vaccination cards may become the basis for immunity passports, documents that will be needed to access public spaces, and travel.
And there may be some additional perks to keeping a copy of your card handy.
“Some businesses are offering discounts for people who have been vaccinated,” Long said, “so you may need a copy or picture of your card to take advantage of those.”
How to best protect your vaccine card
“Since it’s unlikely you’ll need the card in day-to-day life,” said Long, “I would first take a picture and/or scan of the card and then place it someplace safe and secure.
“Some people have suggested laminating the cards, but then they can’t be updated with information in the future, such as the receipt of a booster shot,” he added.
Lynch suggested that taking a picture of the card front and back and keeping it on your mobile device is a good way to keep the card with you at all times.
She also noted that some states are rolling out digital vaccine passport applications.
“These will allow the card information to be logged in a digital app that can be easily accessed on a mobile device and shared at events where documentation is required, eliminating the need to carry around the physical card,” Lynch explained.
What to do if you lose your card
If you lose your card, don’t worry. The information isn’t gone forever.
In general, you should be able to contact the clinic or agency where your vaccination was administered to obtain a duplicate record, Long said.
In addition, this information should have been shared with your state’s immunization registry, so it may be possible to obtain proof of vaccination from your state.
Keeping your vaccine card in a safe location simply ensures that you have it readily available if and when you need it.
Vaccine Passports: What They Are and Why You May Need One Soon
As COVID-19 vaccines continue to roll out, many people who have been stuck at home for the past year are eager to travel to see loved ones or just to get a change of scenery.
Countries across the globe have begun announcing “vaccine passports,” allowing their citizens to use proof of vaccination to travel once again.
China unveiled its digital vaccine passport last month to be accessed via an app that would allow people to verify their vaccination status by scanning a QR code.
Japan recently announced plans for a similar digital passport expected to debut in the coming weeks.
And the European Union says it backs a “Digital Green Certificate,” which would allow citizens who have proof that they’ve been vaccinated, received a negative coronavirus test result, or have recovered from COVID-19 to travel across all 27 member states.
The United States hasn’t announced a plan for vaccine passports, though several companies within the United States are developing digital vaccine certificates for smartphone apps.
And while there are still many unknowns around what vaccine passports may look like in practice, travel medicine experts also believe these passports may play an important role in international travel moving forward.
“I think it is clearly the direction travel is going,” Dr. Henry Wu, director of Emory TravelWell Center and associate professor of infectious diseases at Emory University School of Medicine, told Healthline.
“There’s long been testing requirements for entering countries, including the U.S., and I think you can’t ignore the building data that these vaccines are highly effective not just in preventing illness but also preliminary data that they also appear to reduce transmission. It’s another tool that can be used to make travel safer,” Wu said.
Based off recent studies evaluating the real-world effects of COVID-19 vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last week that fully vaccinated people can now safely travel within the United States without needing to get tested or self-quarantine.
This is as long as they continue to take precautions while traveling, including wearing a mask and physical distancing.
International travel is also safe without testing or quarantine for fully vaccinated people, the CDC says, though people still may be subject to these measures depending on their destination.
A person is considered
Required vaccination for travel is not new
Dr. Scott Weisenberg, director of the Travel Medicine Program at NYU Langone Health, said that adding proof of vaccination adds another layer of protection for travelers.
“For countries that are already requiring a negative COVID test before arriving, a vaccinated person is probably an attractive visitor compared to someone who’s never had the vaccine, because they’re less likely to transmit the virus into that destination,” he said.
Weisenberg noted that the notion of needing a vaccine to enter certain countries is not new. Proof of immunization for yellow fever is already needed to travel to countries like Ghana and Brazil.
“While yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes and COVID is transmitted largely through the air between people from an infectious person, otherwise the concept is exactly the same,” he said.
“You’re required to get yellow fever vaccination not just to protect you but to keep you from being part of a transmission that spreads the virus either in the destination you’re going to or the next country on your itinerary in your travels,” Weisenberg said.
Fears and concerns about the use of digital vaccine passports
Wu said that while this concept is not new to travel medicine, the nature of COVID-19 does complicate things.
“I think the yellow fever requirements work quite well even if it’s not a perfect system because the infection itself is not the most common among travelers,” he said.
“But when we’re dealing with something like COVID, which is very common, highly transmissible, and has affected every country of the world, it’s not as simple as having a vaccine documented on a yellow card,” Wu said.
In fact, there are already reports of fake COVID-19 vaccination cards being sold online for hundreds of dollars.
Stopping these instances of fraud is a major argument for making these passports digital (along with ease of access), but new technology brings up other concerns, most notably privacy.
“It would have to be done in such a way that the passport states the person has been vaccinated without giving away any personal health information other than that,” Weisenberg said.
The system would also need to take into account people who do not have smartphones and allow these people another way to show they’ve been vaccinated, he said.
The bottom line, experts say, is that there’s still a lot of unknowns when it comes to the future of vaccine passports.
“I do think it’s going to be a reality, but the roll out and exactly how it’s going to look in terms of whether it will be a digital passport or what platform will be used, that’s the messy part right now because so many things are happening at once,” Wu said.
However, what is certain is that, regardless of vaccination status, everyone should still be following the same COVID-19 precautions that have been in place for the past year.
“Even with the vaccine, as good as it is, you really should take the additional precautions of masking and distancing,” Wu said, “not just because it’s a requirement on flights for the most part, but it’s also an extra insurance policy against a vaccine failure event or a variant that may not be as well covered.”
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