COVID vaccinations—the next frontier

As we work to quickly administer second doses, demand for the first dose has essentially plateaued. The vaccination rate will eventually be limited by demand rather than supply. The focus becomes reaching the vaccine hesitant. Yesterday was a special day. On July 12, 2021, more than 50% of eligible Canadians (defined as ages 12+) have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s such an amazing feat considering that mass vaccinations for the general public only started about four or five months ago, and now over 43 million doses have been administered. It was an all-hands-on-deck kind of effort. The next four or five months will likely be different, and hopefully in a good way. We will see the economy reopen, schools restart for in-person learning, and perhaps society embracing hugs again. The logistics of vaccine distribution will also look different as the vaccination rate constraint shifts from supply to demand. Mass vaccination clinics are an excellent idea when demand is high. They allow a community to reach thousands of individuals in a short time. These individuals know what they want, and their sole purpose of visiting the mass vaccination site is to receive a vaccine. The best comparison (in my opinion) to the vaccination rate is the technology adoption curve. (Figure 1) For the bulk of the curve, the product (vaccine) doesn’t need a lot of selling, or it may even seem to sell itself. As we work to quickly administer second doses, demand for the first dose has essentially plateaued. Collectively, we are approaching a first dose vaccination percentage that will soon encompass those of the late majority on the technology adoption curve. I’m proud to share that I finally help convinced one of my vaccine-hesitant assistants to get her first dose last Thursday. Fate would have it that the pediatrician at the adjoining clinic would be administering the Pfizer vaccine that day, and one of her appointments canceled at the last minute. (Note: We are not offering the COVID vaccine at this pharmacy.) It may have taken a pediatrician, her medical office assistant, and a pharmacist to lead this person to vaccination, but in the end, even though we all stayed past closing, it was worth it. Back to Figure 1, the technology adoption curve, the cumulative adoption rate is depicted by the yellow curve. This S curve has an inflection point as the focus turns to convert the laggards. At this point, the strongest determinant of the vaccination rate will be defined by the ability to create demand. An individual who is vaccine-hesitant is not necessarily a conspiracy theorist. Often, there is simply an information gap that needs to be filled with science-based knowledge. It’s important to note that while an anti-vaxxer is vaccine-hesitant, not all that are vaccine-hesitant are anti-vaxxers. There is so much misinformation and poor communication out there. Some of the communication miscues circulating during this pandemic will provide years of case studies for communication majors for decades to come. Much like my experience last week, moving the needle on vaccine hesitancy may take a team effort. Embrace the circle of care and offer to provide community-based resources. To avoid appearing judgmental, try not to approach an interaction as a sales pitch. Spend more time listening than speaking. Focus on presenting facts that will counter some of the person's concerns. Think of it as a shopping experience, which is very different at the Apple Store or the Tesla showroom compared to at a Best Buy or a traditional car dealership. The focus is on the product, not the other gimmicks. Looking back at last Thursday, even though it may not have happened quickly or easily, it was a win worth celebrating. Even though our COVID vaccination rate may show diminishing returns given the time and effort to reach each subsequent patient, the collective returns for society are priceless. Albert Woo is a community pharmacist in Windsor, Ontario. He has worked for numerous independent, chain and mass merchant retailer pharmacies. This blog is republished by permission from his website The Modern Druggist Read Albert’s earlier blog Ed Sheeran and the pharmacist's role in social distancing.

COVID vaccinations—the next frontier

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