THURS-116 - Building Vaccine Confidence, Community Partnerships, and Tailored Messaging for Pharmacists in Arkansas

Brief Abstract Summary: Discover how to increase adult immunization uptake in rural Arkansas by leveraging trusted local messengers, such as healthcare providers and pharmacists, and creating tailored, culturally sensitive messaging. This project addresses vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and lack of access to educational resources. The core framework, “Learn. Understand. Decide.,” provides straightforward, actionable information on vaccine safety, long-term side effects, effectiveness, and necessity, all crucial in empowering individuals to make information health decisions.

Detailed abstract description: Attendees would learn about the Learn. Understand. Decide. Framework, which simplifies complex information on vaccination for more accessible communication. Additionally, attendees will learn how to leverage trusted local figures in healthcare to build vaccine confidence in rural communities and how these partnerships are crucial to enhancing public trust in populations with vaccine hesitancy. The presenter will share how building collaborations with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and local pharmacies fosters trust between public health entities and rural communities to expand vaccine access. The framework presented will provide attendees with strategies to address and overcome vaccine hesitancy, especially in rural populations. Attendees will even have access to ready-to-use educational and messaging materials they can adapt and apply in their communities and enhance their adult immunization efforts.