The MMA Human Services Council hosted a webinar today covering COVID-19 vaccine education and strategies to address vaccine hesitancy.

Shazie Senen, Program Coordinator and COVID-19 Vaccine Ambassador with the Department of Public Health, provided an overview of the COVID-19 vaccines, their development process and safety issues.

Senen also addressed some frequently asked questions about the vaccines, including how and where to get a vaccine, side effects, and current vaccination rates.

Senen shared additional tools and resources for vaccine information, including materials that can be distributed to community members.

MIIA Wellness Representative Tira Hanrahan led a discussion about vaccine hesitancy. She discussed current vaccine uptake rates in the United States and Massachusetts, as well as estimated hesitancy rates.

Hanrahan discussed the reasons behind vaccine hesitancy and offered tips for overcoming it at both the individual and community levels.

• COVID-19: Vaccine Hesitancy – MIIA Wellness Representative Tira Hanrahan (6M PDF)
• Community Forum on the COVID-19 Vaccine – Mass. Dept. of Public Health (1M PDF)
• Well Aware: COVID-19 Immunization – MIIA (100K PDF)