COVID-19 Vaccination Toolkit for Health Departments and other Public Health Partners

Promoting COVID-19 Vaccines in Your Jurisdiction

This toolkit is designed to help you provide accurate and clear COVID-19 vaccine information to your community.

Communicate with Your Community

• Other COVID-19 Communication Resources

  • COVID-19 Resources: Videos, Social Media, PSAs, Print Resources, Checklists, FAQs, and Web Resources
  • Communication Resources for Health Departments
  • COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
  • Communication Toolkit for Migrants, Refugees, and Other Limited-English-Proficient Populations

  Adapt key messages about COVID-19 vaccination to educate your communities in the language, tone, and format that will resonate with the people who live there.

• Use frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help answer questions about COVID-19 vaccines.
• Organize a COVID-19 Vaccine Presentation ppt icon[9MB] (also available in Spanish ppt icon[4MB]) in your community for virtual town halls or other informational meetings. Record these presentations and post on your websites. Have open discussions. Create and publicize a feedback mechanism for questions about COVID-19 vaccination (email inbox, phone number, point of contact).
• Acknowledge that certain communities and groups have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 illness and severe outcomes, and that some communities might have had previous experiences that affect their trust and confidence in the healthcare system.
• Provide accurate information about benefits, safety, side effects and vaccine effectiveness.
• Encourage social support. Encourage vaccine recipients to wear stickers once they have been vaccinated and post vaccination selfies on social media.
• Learn more about finding credible vaccine information. Get the facts to respond to misinformation you might encounter.
• Encourage leaders in your community to be vaccine champions. Ask them to share testimonials about why they got vaccinated and promote their stories.
• Customize content for use in newsletters, letters, blogs, matte articles or other platforms.

Digital and Print Communication Resources

Encourage and support community members in their decision to get vaccinated with these digital and print communication resources. You can print and post them in your clinics, buildings, and other community locations. You can also use them on your websites or other online platforms.

Social Media

Use these messages and images on your organization’s social media channels as-is with the hashtag #SleeveUp or include your own identity. Sample messages are for use on on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Sample Social Media Messages:

• Vaccination works better when we do it together. Schedule your vaccination appointment today at [Insert your own link for vaccination information] #SleeveUp
• Getting yourself vaccinated may also protect people around you from #COVID19. Do your part to protect others. #SleeveUp [Insert your own link for vaccination information]
• Need help scheduling an appointment for a second dose of #COVID19 vaccine? Contact the location where you received your first dose for assistance. Learn more here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/expect/after.html
• Stay up-to-date with the latest facts about #COVID19 vaccines. Visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines to learn more.

Resources for Sharing Real-Time Vaccine Information

Sharing information about COVID-19 vaccines in real time can be an important way to provide the public with constant, up-to-date information during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Find more resources and information about sharing real-time information, such as hosting virtual town halls and social media livestreams, and tailoring social media content.

Learn more about hosting event for sharing real-time information.

Success Stories

The work you have been doing reflects the positive change and transformation in getting people vaccinated against COVID-19. We would like to promote your story to other groups working to disseminate COVID-19 vaccines so they may learn from your successes. Your success story could be used in PowerPoint presentations, social media, and other mediums to inspire other health departments in their vaccination efforts. Please email ISDcomm@cdc.gov with the subject line, “CVCF Submission.”

Please include a contact person, jurisdiction/organization, and a short description of your COVID-19 vaccination program.