Health Policy Forum Co-sponsored By UMass Amherst Explores COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

DATE:      Thursday, June 3

TIME:       12 to 1:35 p.m.
WHAT:      Vaccine Hesitancy in the Commonwealth: Tailoring the Message to Move the Needle,
                  co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum and the
                  UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences
WHERE:   Free virtual event. Register here

The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum and UMass Amherst are sponsoring a free virtual forum focusing on overcoming vaccine hesitancy among vulnerable communities and those who doubt the safety and value of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Commonwealth. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Massachusetts has one of the lowest vaccine hesitancy rates in the nation, public health experts say more work is needed to reach herd immunity and a new normal state. Panelists will discuss the best strategies to do this, with particular attention to outreach in the Black and Latino communities, among conservative Republicans and individuals living in the state’s rural areas.

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“The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum is pleased to partner with the UMass School of Public Health and Health Sciences, whose technical expertise and community outreach have been an invaluable resource to the Commonwealth in addressing this public health crisis,” says Michael Doonan, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum.

Anna Maria Siega-Riz, dean of the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, will provide a vaccine hesitancy framework before the panel discussion begins. Panelists include moderator Dayna Campbell, president of the board of directors and co-executive director of Women of Color Health Equity Collective; Monica Bharel, Massachusetts Department of Public Health commissioner; Dr. Matilde Castiel, Health and Human Services commissioner in Worcester; Dr. Robert Finberg, Distinguished Professor of Medicine at UMass Medical School in Worcester; and Thomas Mountain, vice chair of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee, who recovered from a severe case of COVID-19 he believes he contracted at a mask-free White House holiday party last December.

The forum is made possible by funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and Baystate Health. A detailed agenda is available on the Massachusetts Health Policy Website.