Be a Vaccine Champion for Your Patients

As Washington’s COVID-19 vaccine supply steadily increases, vaccination is becoming easier and more readily available in communities across the state. The state’s COVID-19 Data Dashboard shows promising overall dose numbers, but also reflects that vaccine uptake varies by county.

As trusted health care providers, dentists can play a critical role in encouraging vaccine uptake among our patients and communities. WSDA recently worked with dentists across the state to publish the following articles aimed at educating the public and encouraging COVID-19 vaccination among those who remain hesitant.

• WSDA President Dr. Dennis Bradshaw, in conjunction with the presidents of the Washington State Medical Association and Optometric Physicians of Washington, for the Seattle Times: Please don’t hesitate to vaccinate — a plea from three physicians
• Spokane District Dental Society President Dr. Elisabeth Warder for the Spokesman-Review: Your shot to make our community safer
• WSDA President Dr. Dennis Bradshaw for the Tri-City Herald: Time to roll up our sleeves and make the Tri-Cities safer
• WSDA member Dr. Harlyn Susarla for the Everett Herald: Weighing risks, benefits favors getting vaccine
• WSDA Board member Dr. Pat Sharkey for the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin: The case for COVID-19 vaccination

We encourage you to share these articles with your patients or to craft a message of your own using the resources below.

Resources for Talking with Your Patients About COVID-19 Vaccines

The ADA has created a toolkit for talking with your patients about COVID-19 vaccines (member log-in required) that, among other resources, provides:

• Three Customizable Sample Emails Encouraging Vaccination (pg. 11-13)
• Conversation Starters: Ways to Engage Your Patients (pg. 2)
• Take-Home Fact Sheets (pg. 5)
• In-Office Signs (pg. 14)
• Suggestions for Social Media (pg. 15)

The Department of Health also provides a COVID-19 vaccine toolkit and resources for health care providers. Under the Education Materials section, find resources such as:

• COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Toolkits in Multiple Languages
• Patient Education Resources
• Resources for Providers on Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy

If patients are unsure about vaccination locations in their area, they can visit vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov to search for appointments within 50 miles of their ZIP code.

Find a Vaccine Location
As a health care provider, you are a trusted source of fact-based medical information and can serve as a vaccine champion for each and every patient in your chair. Please consider the steps you can take today to encourage uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, and together we can improve the health and safety of our communities and expedite our return to a more normal lifestyle.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dennis Bradshaw
WSDA President