29th Oct, 2021 Read time 4 minutes

Take Your Best Shot: Supporting Immunization Uptake in the Wake of Vaccine Mandates

Vaccine Mandates are just the first step when it comes to increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates. It’s time to start thinking about the next step.


 

Many employers across the world may be asking themselves the same question as you: If we decide to mandate that workers be vaccinated— or even just encourage our employees to get the shot— what can we do to help them comply?

Like nearly everything related to COVID-19, the answer is, of course, complicated. Workers across the world hold a wide range of perspectives on vaccination. Some welcome the shot.  Some are hesitant.  Some may request disability or religious-belief exemptions to vaccine mandates, while others may simply ignore their employer’s requests. A significant number may already be vaccinated, while many more might welcome the shot, but only if the process to get it is exceedingly easy.

The bottom line for employers today? Even if you intend to (or must) require vaccinations, simply imposing a vaccine mandate alone isn’t enough. To minimize the risk of at-work COVID-19 infections and the business disruptions sure to follow, you need a strategy that helps the business track vaccination status, monitor COVID-19 test results, or even help it facilitate vaccination campaigns to get more people protected.

Determine if at-work vaccination clinics are needed with worker attestation

Before deciding if your organization will host a vaccination clinic, an accurate breakdown of current employee vaccination status is required.  And collecting information on your workforce’s current vaccination profile can be a highly administrative and imprecise process if not planned properly. With the use of software tools, employers can easily track vaccination status in one location using attestation questionnaires to capture who’s been vaccinated, or even to collect weekly COVID-19 PCR tests for those unable – or unwilling – to get the shot.

Such COVID-19 software solutions allow workers to easily submit this information directly from their mobile device, including attaching proof of vaccination and tests to support their claim. This valuable data feeds powerful dashboards giving business leaders a more accurate view of vaccination status and helping the organization make better-informed business decisions on priorities and where to allocate resources to optimize immunization rates and reduce the risk of workplace outbreaks.

Automate your vaccination clinic processes

At-work vaccination clinics are ideal because they immediately eliminate what many say are the biggest barriers to getting a shot. Some may not want to spend their free time standing in line for something they see as optional, or they may not have that time at all because of personal or family obligations, or other jobs.

While establishing a workplace vaccination clinic requires resources, managing it efficiently is another thing altogether. Among the many issues that must be considered: scheduling appointments, tracking vaccine inventory, ensuring data privacy, and optimizing administrative tasks for clinicians. With that in mind, most organizations will want to leverage specialized software solutions designed to automate clinic management processes.

Software tools are available, for example, that allow workers to book appointments with an app on their phone. Once scheduled, the employee can receive automated reminders about their appointment time. They can also use a scannable barcode during check-in to minimize the time they have to spend in the clinic.

Automating the processes surrounding vaccination delivery also allows you to collect data on your program for regulatory reporting requirements. These requirements tend to vary by jurisdiction, so the best place to start for issues related to compliance is by contacting local health officials.

In the end, the most important thing to remember is that an at-work vaccination campaign is an investment in the health of your workforce and business. By helping those employees who have yet to be vaccinated get the shot as soon as possible, you’re not only helping to protect them and their colleagues, you are also protecting the workplace itself.

Learn more about what to consider when implementing vaccine mandates

For more on vaccine mandates, optimizing at-work vaccination clinics, and how to accurately track employee vaccination status, checkout the eBook: Time to Roll Up Your Sleeves: How to Run an Effective COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign.

 

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