Addressing COVID Vaccine Hesitancy Watch the recording HERE
Panelists: Abram Wagner, PhD, MPH, Anna Kirkland, JD, PhD, Susan Woolford, MD, Brian Zikmund-Fisher, PhD
Panel Moderator: Andrew Shuman, MD, FACS
The rapid development of vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is being heralded as a success of modern medicine. But vaccines can only curtail pandemics when enough people are willing to use them, and substantial vaccine hesitancy already exists in many populations. The speed of vaccine production and availability through an emergency use authorization, coupled with political divisiveness and broad skepticism of scientific claims, all affect people's perceptions of vaccines and hence threaten our ability to achieve herd immunity. In addition, a national history of research abuses and health inequities for communities of color influences how the medical community fosters and builds trust with those most in need. This panel will tackle these complex issues through the lens of history, law, decision science, and community engagement with a diverse cadre of nationally recognized leaders.