1Fact/1 Myth: Dispelling Misinformation on COVID-19 Vaccines

February 9, 2021 — The College is committed to using facts to help dispel myths and misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccines. ACG has developed a suite of materials and resources for ACG members to serve as trusted messengers with their patients and in their communities.

Fighting Myths with Facts

To empower gastroenterologists and members of the GI care team as champions and educators in fighting misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, ACG offers materials and resources featuring facts drawn verbatim from materials published and updated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ACG recognizes Francis A. Farraye, MD, MSc, MACG, Freddy Caldera, DO, MS, and Tauseef Ali, MD, FACG (Chair of ACG’s Public Relations Committee) for their leadership in this effort.

COVID-19 Vaccine Advocates

Dr. Caldera and Dr. Farraye recently wrote a post for the ACG Blog “What GI Clinicians Can Do to Help End the COVID-19 Pandemic” (January 15, 2021) in which they write that, “GI clinicians should become COVID-19 vaccine advocates by personally receiving a COVID-19 vaccine and sharing their experience with their staff, patients, and family members.”

“The overabundance of information online and offline has resulted in an ‘infodemic.’ Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a vast amount of misinformation about vaccines on social media resulting in vaccine hesitancy among patients with inflammatory bowel disease and other conditions seen in our gastroenterology practices,” they noted.

Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy

According to Dr. Farraye and Dr. Caldera, “Vaccine hesitancy has not improved during the pandemic but only worsened because political polarization has resulted in general mistrust of public health and governmental agencies. This has resulted in widespread public unease of a COVID-19 vaccine once they become available to the general public.”

Watch: “COVID-19 Vaccines: Key Information for Gastroenterologists”

Recording of December 22, 2020 ACG Virtual Grand Rounds Webinar with David A. Greenwald, MD, FACG (ACG President); Freddy Caldera, DO; Francis A. Farraye, MD, MSc, MACG; Mary Hayney, RPH, PharmD, MPH, BCPS; and Jonathan L. Temte, MD, PhD, MS.

WATCH VIA ACG EDUCATION UNIVERSE

Download and Share: ACG Handout “1Fact/1Myth”

Drawing verbatim on information from CDC and including the source and web link, this handout addresses common myths and misconceptions.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD 2 PAGE FLYER

Support & Amplify ACG Social Media Posts

ACG members are urged to support and amplify the College’s efforts to dispel misinformation. Follow and share posts from ACG’s #1Fact1Myth hashtag. Use #COVIDvaccine #MyCOVIDvax hashtags to engage in the larger conversation on social media and to share your experience with the vaccine as a role model for your patients and your community.

Download and Share: Slides

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD SLIDES

Resources to Learn More

Materials for patients and the public, as well as a selection of links for healthcare providers to learn more. Highlights include downloadable patient handouts and slides for community education developed by the CDC.