Communicating with Health Workers about COVID-19 Vaccination

"Building confidence among populations about COVID-19 vaccination will be a key factor in HWs' [health workers'] efforts to curb the rate of infections and help to end the pandemic."

Most health workers (HWs) are not experts in vaccination and share many of the same concerns about vaccines that the wider public have. From the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, this training module and accompanying facilitator's guide are designed to equip HWs with knowledge and communication skills to build their confidence and support them in their ability to promote acceptance and demand of COVID-19 vaccination among other HWs. It provides a structured approach to assist HWs during conversations with other HWs who are hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine or decide to decline it. It also offers guidance for programme managers on how to foster a work culture that is conducive to COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

The self-paced learning tool can be completed (in an expected 3-hour time frame) independently or facilitated by a trainer of trainers (ToT). Participants are guided through slides focusing on a combination of theory (e.g., the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour (COM-B) model) and practical skills building that is intended to be practical and adaptable to most healthcare settings.

The facilitator's guide provides detailed explanations, resources, and guidance to accompany the slides in the training module and to support those implementing the training. It is intended for facilitators or ToTs who will be conducting training at the country level, either face-to-face or online with a group of participants. Facilitators can use this guidance document to help them adapt the training content to their local context.