Guidelines for Dialogue: Talking to the General Public About COVID-19

Abstract

The series Guidelines for Dialogue on COVID-19 Vaccination includes nine booklets in question-and-answer format for health personnel and vaccination teams fighting the disease on the front line, as well as for journalists and communicators in charge of the second essential front, that of information. The objective is to provide them with a simple, didactic and effective argument that facilitates the work of raising awareness of the importance of vaccines and simplifies the work of accompanying citizens in the process of making responsible decisions about health. To this end, these materials cover different topics, doubts and controversies about COVID-19, providing answers based on the most recent scientific evidence, in clear and accessible language, for use in health centers and in community vaccination campaigns. PAHO thus wishes to contribute to the effort that the Region of the Americas has undertaken against misinformation and the minority but counterproductive negationist theories that have become established in our societies and which, especially through the different forms of vaccine refusal, hinder the eradication of this pandemic. This guide presents a series of recommendations aimed at facilitating the dialogue between health personnel in charge of vaccination and information sessions and the general public. Listening to their concerns and informing them with clarity and simplicity, in a respectful and empathetic atmosphere, are undoubtedly the keys to a dialogue that will allow to continue promoting vaccination among the population