
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.
For Patients and the Public
CDC – “Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination” (For Patients and the Public)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html
CDC – “Vaccine Safety” (For Patients and the Public)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html#Safety
CDC – “What to Expect After Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine” (Handout for Patients)
CDC – “What to Expect at Your Appointment to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19” (For Patients and the Public)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect.html
CDC – “What to Expect“ (Handout for Patients and the Public)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/vaccines/facts-covid-vaccines-english-508.pdf
CDC – “Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines” (For Patients and the Public)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html
CDC – “Finding Credible Vaccine Info” (For Patients and the Public)
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/evalwebs.htm
For Healthcare Providers
CDC – “Different COVID-19 Vaccines” (For Healthcare Providers)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines.html
CDC – “Understanding How COVID-19 Vaccines Work” (for Healthcare Providers)
CDC – “Making a Strong Recommendation for COVID-19 Vaccination:
Engaging in Effective COVID-19 Vaccine Conversations”
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/hcp/engaging-patients.html
CDC – “General COVID-19 Vaccination” (For Healthcare Providers)
Find information for COVID-19 vaccination administration, storage and handling, reporting, and patient education for each specific vaccine.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/index.html
CDC – “COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs for Healthcare Professionals”
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/hcp/faq.html
CDC – “COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit”
For Medical Centers, Pharmacies and Clinicians
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-systems-communication-toolkit.html
CDC – Fact Sheets and FAQs (for Download)
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-systems-communication-toolkit.html#faqs
CDC – Slides: “Building Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines Among Your Patients: Tips for the Healthcare Team” (For Healthcare Providers)
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/downloads/VaccinateWConfidence-TipsForHCTeams_508.pptx
CDC – Templates for “I Got MyCOVID-19 Vaccine” (Stickers to download)
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-systems-communication-toolkit.html#stickers
Other Resources
NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases) “COVID-19 Vaccine Questions and Answers”
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/diseases-conditions/covid-19-vaccine-faq
NIH COVID-19 Vaccine Resources (National Institutes of Health)
https://covid19.nih.gov/treatments-and-vaccines/vaccines#vaccine-resources-1