Vaccine Conversation Guide for Managers
Summary
A COVID-19 vaccines conversation guide for managers, updated November 18, 2021, published by the SBA with COVID 19 content donated by the Health Action Alliance. The guide states that SBA's acceptance of the gift does not constitute an endorsement of the views, products or services of the donor, and that opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the SBA. It offers illustrative material for businesses to consider using in their conversations with employees about COVID-19 vaccines.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
Full text
COVID-19 Vaccines
A Conversation Guide for Managers
UPDATED November 18, 2021
The SBA would like to thank the Health Action Alliance for the generous
donation of this valuable COVID 19 content.
SBA’s acceptance of this Gift does not constitute an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or
services of the donor or any other person or entity. As public health information is constantly evolving,
we are committed to regularly updating our materials. All opinions, conclusions, and/or
recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the SBA. This Guide contains links to third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the
reader, user, or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
The material that follows are illustrative for businesses to consider using in their
conversations about vaccine use between managers and employees.
Introduction
The health and safety of our employees, workers and customers is our top priority. Now that
COVID-19 vaccines are widely available to everyone in America ages 5 and older, we want our
employees to have trusted information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other public health sources to help
them make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones.
We strongly encourage managers to discuss COVID-19 vaccines during an upcoming team
meeting and guide a group conversation using the information below.
6 Tips for a Conversation about COVID-19 Vaccines
1. Listen more than you talk. This is a conversation, not a debate. It’s not your job to
convince people to get vaccinated. Rather, you’re sharing information to help them
make their decision. Be positive, inviting, and respectful. Acknowledge “the choice is
yours to make with your doctor or healthcare provider.”
2. Lead with empathy. Respect people’s concerns and acknowledge that it’s ok for
everyone—even you—to have questions about vaccines. Don’t talk down to people,
lecture or make people feel guilty. Instead, be understanding, positive and hopeful.
Listen for what’s holding people back then help them find their own reason to get
vaccinated.
3. Facts about safety matter. Don’t just say “the science is solid.” Provide facts about the
safety and efficacy of vaccines using the talking points provided below. Remember, you
shouldn’t give medical advice, so encourage people with more advanced questions to
talk with their doctor or healthcare provider. Finally, be sure to speak plainly and in a
manner everyone will understand.
4. Emotions are important. Show how vaccinations can help us get back to the things
we love, like connecting with others, spending time with family and friends, traveling,
and going to events. Some people may feel fear or mistrust. Others may be frustrated
by the new variants or shifting public health guidance on masks. Listen for these
| 2
feelings and share facts to help people work through their concerns and frustration.
5. Be inviting. As more people get vaccinated, ask them to share their stories with
others. Hearing from someone who’s already been vaccinated is one of the best ways
to put others at ease. Celebrate the people who have taken this step for their health
and the health of others.
6. Be authentic. Share why getting vaccinated and why vaccines are important to you
and your family.
Proposed Talking Points
COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and they work.
• There are multiple COVID-19 vaccines that have been granted Emergency Use
Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means the
clinical evidence for the vaccines have met the agency's rigorous scientific standards
and are considered to be safe and effective. They have been studied in clinical trials
with large and diverse groups of people, of various ages, races, and ethnicities.
• On August 23, 2021, the FDA announced full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
for adults ages 16 and older. Full FDA approval takes longer than Emergency Use
Authorization because more data needs to be processed and reviewed over a longer
period of time. When a product is fully approved by the FDA, patients can be assured
that its recommendation is grounded in large amounts of scientific data.
• Vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes
COVID-19 without having to get sick or put yourself and others at risk of severe illness
and death.
• Getting vaccinated is a much safer way to build protection than getting the disease.
COVID-19 can have serious, long-term, or life-threatening complications, and there is no
way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. And if you get infected, you could spread the
disease to friends, family, and others around you.
• Evidence is emerging that people get better protection by being fully vaccinated,
compared with having had COVID-19. One study showed that unvaccinated people
who already had COVID-19 are more than twice as likely to get the virus again
compared to people who are fully vaccinated.
| 3
• You may have some side effects after getting vaccinated. That’s a normal sign that
your body is building protection—and they should go away within a few days. Your
arm may be sore or swollen. You may also feel tired, have a headache, fever, or chills.
This does not mean you have COVID-19—in fact, it’s not possible to get COVID-19
from vaccines.
• Vaccines are being administered by trained health professionals. Some people might
be offered a vaccine that requires two doses, given several weeks apart, while other
people might be offered a single-dose vaccine. It may take several weeks after
vaccination for your body to be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.
• Federal health officials recommend a booster dose for certain populations (based on
their age and underlying conditions), and have also made booster shots available to
workers whose jobs put them at high risk of exposure to COVID-19. However, the CDC
says not all workers in this category will need booster shots. Instead, they are
available to those workers if they would like to get one, based on their individual
benefits and risks. For now, boosters are available only to people who received the
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
• As of October 21, 2021, adults can “mix and match” any of the three COVID-19
vaccines for their booster. A booster dose is available to all eligible adults regardless
of which vaccine you initially received.
• The vaccines’ effectiveness against COVID-19 remains high, especially in protecting
people against serious illness or death. In fact, boosters show that medical experts
are continuing to find ways to prolong protection through vaccines.
• If you are immunocompromised or have a weakened immune system, the CDC
recommends that you receive a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-
19 vaccines to strengthen your protection against Delta. You should speak with your
doctor or healthcare provider about whether a third vaccine dose and other
precautions are right for you.
| 4
I got vaccinated, and I hope you will too. Vaccines are
important to me and my family because…
• COVID-19 vaccines can help us get back to the things we love.
• They help protect me and the people I love from getting COVID-19.
• They reduce hospitalizations and save lives.
• As more people get vaccinated, they’ll provide the safety and protection that will
allow our economy to fully recover.
• We all want to protect our families, friends and loved ones. We want to get back to
the moments we miss with our family and friends. Vaccinations can help us get back
too many of the things we miss most, like spending time together, traveling, and
attending events.
Vaccines are free and widely available.
• Everyone in the United States ages 12 and older is eligible to receive free COVID-19
vaccines, regardless of immigration status. You don’t need health insurance to get
vaccinated for COVID-19.
• Vaccines are widely available at more than 80,000 locations across the country,
including at over 40,000 retail pharmacies. Ninety percent of Americans live within
five miles of a vaccine site.
• Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find
locations near you.
• In order to protect yourself and prevent the spread, it’s important that you get
vaccinated at your earliest opportunity.
My top priority is the health and safety of our staff, our
families, and our customers.
• If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19, stay home except to
get medical care, separate yourself from other people and take other precautions to
prevent the spread. And tell your manager as soon as safely possible so we can assess
whether any other members of our team could have been exposed.
| 5
• You should get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms, have close contact (within
6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone with
confirmed COVID-19, or take part in activities that put you at higher risk for COVID-
19, regardless of vaccination status.
o If you are already fully vaccinated, you should get tested 3-5 days after exposure,
and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until you receive a
negative test result.
o If you are not fully vaccinated, you should quarantine and get tested immediately
after exposure, and, if negative, tested again in 5–7 days after last exposure or
immediately if symptoms develop during quarantine.
• Even after you are fully vaccinated, CDC recommends that everyone wear masks in public
indoor settings in areas with substantial or high COVID-19 transmission. A majority of
counties across the U.S. are experiencing either “substantial” or “high” transmission
rates that call for indoor mask-wearing, according to the CDC.
[COMPANY] is committed to helping you get the facts about vaccines. We also want to
make it easier for you to get vaccinated or take eligible children to get vaccinated. Here
are some ways [COMPANY] is supporting you:
Note: Add here details about your company’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, including any paid
time off or other incentives you’re offering to employees and workers who get vaccinated. Below
are best practice examples:
• [COMPANY] will offer paid time off to any employee or worker who gets vaccinated.
If you do experience side effects, I’ll offer paid leave to help you fully recover.
• [COMPANY] will offer paid time off to working parents that choose to vaccinate
eligible children against COVID-19, including time to care for children recovering
from potential side effects.
• [COMPANY] will provide a transportation voucher (i.e., Uber/Lyft gift card, bus pass,
subway card, etc.,) to help cover your transportation costs to and from a vaccine site.
• [COMPANY] will reimburse your meals on the day(s) you get vaccinated, up to
$[amount].
• [COMPANY] will reimburse you for childcare expenses during your vaccine
appointment(s), up to $[amount].
| 6
Conversation Starters
• I thought we could start with a conversation about how everyone is feeling about
COVID-19 vaccines, and what information you need to answer any questions. My role
is to support you and help you get the answers you need.
• Has anyone here gotten vaccinated and wants to share their story?
• Does anyone want to share how COVID-19 vaccines have helped them reconnect with
family and friends, travel, attend events, or take part in other activities?
• Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you to get vaccinated at your earliest
opportunity?
• For those of you still deciding, I have some information to share, and then let’s talk
through your questions. I won’t be able to answer them all, but I’ll do my best to
make sure you know where to get answers.
• And if there are any questions I can’t answer, I encourage you to ask them to your
doctor or another healthcare professional.
It is normal to have questions.
• It’s normal to be cautious when something new comes along. Getting informed
about COVID-19 vaccines is an important step to help us stop this pandemic.
• Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider. We all need to be comfortable with our
decisions and your doctor can help.
• OK...what questions do you have?
| 7
File and source
- File
- 2024-04_covid19-vaccine-conversation-guide-managers-508.pdf
- Size
- 196,801 bytes
- SHA-256
- 89738417e879fd42ccf5fec44add5ca808cc2fb399d4d5c882cc8a4345082a50
- Original
- www.sba.gov