3 Ways School Leaders Can Promote COVID-19 Vaccination

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COVID continues to be a threat to communities everywhere. The good news is that all children as young as 6 months can get the protection of a COVID vaccine.

We need school leaders like you to help students and others in your community learn more about the vaccines and get vaccinated.

Your community sees you as a trusted messenger. Also, students at schools that encourage or provide information on COVID vaccination are more likely to get vaccinated than students at schools that do not.

What You Can Do

The School Communities Toolkit  has resources, including templates and guides, to help you with the following:

1. Make it easy for children to get vaccinated

Join thousands of other schools nationwide and host a vaccine clinic. Or partner with other community providers to host vaccination sites in your community. Let parents/guardians know their children can get a COVID vaccine at the same time as other routine immunizations.

2. Answer people’s questions

It’s normal for people to have questions—and misconceptions—about the COVID vaccines. Equip yourself and your staff with fact-based public health messaging, such as answers to frequently asked questions. Also connect families to experts. For example, invite a local pediatrician for “office hours” during drop-off and pick-up to answer any questions parents or guardians may have. Or host a community town hall or parent–teacher association meeting with a Q&A session that features local pediatricians and other trusted medical providers.

3. Promote eligibility for COVID vaccines

Children as young as 6 months can get a COVID vaccine. That means the great majority of kids in day care, preschool, and grade school can get vaccinated. Send letters home to parents, spread the word on social media, and talk about it in school or in classroom newsletters.

In your communications, be sure to explain the benefits of vaccination for your community. For example, it makes it safer for students to attend class in person and participate in after-school activities, and will reduce the need for students to miss school.