Analyzing Vaccine Engagement Strategies for Employers

Effective vaccine engagement strategies for employers warrant science-based education tools for the workforce, along with incentives and personalized experiences from employees to promote adherence and safety, said Candice Sherman, CEO of the Northeast Business Group on Health.

Transcript

AJMC^®: Hello, I'm Matthew Gavidia. Today on the MJH Life Sciences’ Medical World News, The American Journal of Managed Care^® is pleased to welcome Candice Sherman, CEO of the Northeast Business Group on Health, or NEBGH, who will speak on a recent guide by her organization titled, “Pandemic Response, Recovery, and Planning:  Lessons Learned for Employers in 2020.”

In the guide there were several recommended action steps for HR [human resources] and health benefit managers, notably the development of a vaccine engagement strategy. What aspects are involved in this type of strategy?

Sherman: So, a vaccine engagement strategy needs to include education, so employers should use multiple channels to send out, and this is important, science-based information to employees. We would also recommend crafting talking points to answer frequently asked questions, and of course, to debunk myths.

Senior level executives can set an example in terms of getting the vaccine and of course stories can be circulated by employees, relating their experiences about getting the vaccine. And don't forget about incentives. All of these can be useful in terms of engaging employees.

Now is really a great time for employers to review their safety precautions and any plans that they have for bringing more employees back into the workplace. There will be a period of time, and who knows how long, where some employees have been vaccinated and others have not. And then of course, there are the mutations circulating. So, thinking through how to keep all employees safe is critical.

So, testing, for example, has gotten lost a bit because of the vaccines, but really frequent rapid testing could really be one pathway to safety in the workplace for the foreseeable future.

AJMC^®: To learn more, visit our website at ajmc.com. I’m Matthew Gavidia, thanks for joining us!