UPDATED March 3, 2022 – The College continues its deep commitment to using facts to help dispel myths and misconceptions about COVID-19 vaccines. ACG has updated its suite of materials and resources for ACG members to serve as trusted messengers with their patients and in their communities.
Updates from COVID-19 Vaccine Advocates
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Freddy Caldera and Dr. Frank Farraye have been leaders in educating their ACG colleagues about key developments relating to vaccines and the implications of new scientific findings for the care of patients with GI and liver diseases.
In 2021, in a post for the ACG Blog “What GI Clinicians Can Do to Help End the COVID-19 Pandemic” (January 15, 2021) they wrote, “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.” – Dr. Frank Farraye & Dr. Freddy Caldera
Updates to Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines February 4, 2002 ACIP Meeting
On February 4, 2022, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice updated its recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines in moderately to severely immunosuppressed patients. Dr. Caldera and Dr. Farraye created a short presentation to update the ACG community on ACIP’s recommendations for patients with inflammatory bowel disease and liver transplant recipients.
REVIEW UPDATE HERE
Watch: “ACG COVID-19 Vaccines Update January 25, 2022”
Over the past year, Dr. Farraye and Dr. Caldera have presented a series of four Special ACG Virtual Grand Rounds webinars on this topic, the most recent program was Tuesday, January 25, 2022.
Recording of January 25, 2022 ACG Virtual Grand Rounds Webinar with Freddy Caldera, DO, MS, FACG; Francis A. Farraye, MD, MSc, MACG; Gil Y. Melmed, MD, FACG; and Erin K. Spengler, MD, moderated by ACG President, Samir A. Shah, MD, FACG.
WATCH VIA ACG EDUCATION UNIVERSE
Patient Education Resources: “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, FACG; Tauseef Ali, MD, FACG (Chair of ACG’s Public Relations Committee); and Dr. Christine Y. Hachem (Chair of ACG’s Patient Care Committee) for their leadership in this effort.
Download and Share: ACG Handout “1Fact/1Myth” COVID-19 Vaccine Information
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 – “Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines” (For Patients and the Public)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html
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) “Building Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines“
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
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