Information Digest

Issue 7: Crucial Conversations

4 August 2022

Welcome to the VA58 Campaign's Information Digest! The campaign produces a lot of information. This briefing will help you keep up with it. Digests will be released every few weeks. They will be organized around a specific theme and contain a potpourri of new and noteworthy items. All will focus on actionable insights. This will be "news you can use"!

Issue Overview

We know from experience that one-on-one conversations are key to convincing people to make vaccine appointments. But talking to people who are undecided about getting vaccinated can be challenging. With the right tools and techniques, we can proactively talk with unvaccinated individuals and families about the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines.

This issue focuses on the do's and don'ts of communicating about COVID-19 vaccines. Following these guidelines will equip us with the skills and confidence to have more meaningful conversations about getting the COVID-19 vaccine and, ultimately, help move more Californians from undecided to vaccinated.

COVID-19 Crucial Conversations

When it comes to building vaccine trust and acceptance, using the right words, the right methods, and the right messengers can help us communicate more effectively and encourage more people to get vaccinated. Here is how health experts recommend we listen and talk to people about COVID-19 vaccines:

Messaging Elements that Resonate

Validate concerns - Acknowledge people's hesitancy rather than challenge it. Listen without judgement.

Appeal with facts - Provide scientifically based, plain language answers to their questions.

Reference moments missed - Missed moments, especially human connections like visiting family and friends, serve as a powerful reminder of the end goal: vaccination as a pathway to the possibility of regaining and sustaining these moments.

Emphasize protection - Explain the benefits of getting the vaccine rather than the consequences of skipping it. Protecting yourself, loved ones and those in your community resonates most.

Be positive - Be inviting and respectful, not demanding.

Recognize vaccination is a personal decision - Acknowledge that the "choice is yours to make," which connects with the deeply rooted American value of liberty.

Messaging Elements to Avoid

Negativity & Fear - People push back when reminded how difficult things have been. It tends to put them in a pessimistic, hopeless or frustrated frame of mind. Fear tactics usually backfire because they do little to generate trust or answer questions.

Guilt - Referencing people "already stepping up" and getting vaccinated as "the right thing to do" can come off as pushy or accusatory. Those who are hesitant don't see themselves as "free riders" letting others take risks first. Rather, they are worried about being "guinea pigs" for new COVID-19 vaccines.

Overpromising - Avoid claims that are unproven. Being overly rosy may raise concerns. Be clear about the facts without sugarcoating. Most people understand that mass vaccination is a long-term process. Avoid messages that inadvertently imply that vaccine availability will "flip the switch."

"Back to Normal" - Some people just want things to "get back to normal," but for many, post-pandemic life will never be "the way it was." It's more about getting back to life, back to the things we love and miss, than back to "normal."

Who the message comes from is just as important, if not more, than what the message is. In addition to doctors and public health officials, work with local health advocates, organizers and leaders to increase language access and outreach. Because TRUSTED MESSENGERS like these embody the cultural diversity of the community, they are able to deliver information in the most accessible, understandable and respectful way possible.

Tips on COVID-19 Vaccine Word Choice


Do Say

  • Vaccination

  • A safe and effective vaccine

  • Authorized by FDA based on clinical testing

  • Get the latest information

  • Keep your family safe; Keep those most vulnerable safe

  • Public Health

  • Health/medical experts

  • People who have questions



Don't Say

  • Injection or shot

  • A vaccine developed quickly

  • Approved by FDA; Operation Warp Speed; Emergency Use Authorization

  • There are things we still don't know

  • Keep your country safe

  • Government

  • Scientists

  • People who are hesitant, skeptical, resistant or "anti-vaxxers"

Have questions about COVID-19 vaccines? Visit https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines for more information

The 3-5-3 Conversation Methodology


To communicate effectively with people about COVID-19, medical professionals with #ThisIsOurShot developed the 3-5-3 method. The 3-5-3 method for conversations is an evidence-based communication tool rooted in messaging research, behavioral science and motivational interviewing. Central to this method is listening for and validating individual concerns for not getting the vaccine and finding what is important to them as a reason to get vaccinated (e.g., protecting vulnerable family members, keeping kids in school, staying healthy as an essential worker). Don't forget to share your own experience about why you chose to get vaccinated and emphasize that getting vaccinated and boosted is still critically important to protect individuals and their families. To view the full 3-5-3 tool, including questions and messages, click here.

Appointment Assistance Best Practices

Crucial conversations happen at home, in the doctor's office, while out canvassing in the community and when phone-banking. These conversations are key to helping people get off the fence and book a vaccination appointment. Here are some tips for booking appointments from Street Level Strategy, the VA58 partner that runs the COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Assistance Program:

  • Use local news to stress the urgency of getting vaccinated NOW vs. later (e.g., the BA.5 subvariant is the most contagious form of COVID-19 yet and is spreading).

  • Encourage familial bookings. Ask if there are others in the household who may need appointments too (e.g., grandparents, young children).

  • If there are wraparound services or on-site activities (e.g., food trucks, senior seminars), use them as a draw.

  • Make sure to get an email and mobile number for each booking so people receive multiple appointment reminders.

  • Consider skipping info that isn't required (e.g., demographic and insurance info) to expedite the booking process.

  • When people seem concerned about the lengthy set of health-related questions, reassure them by using a real-world example (e.g., the long list of possible side effects with everyday prescriptions).

  • If you can't find an appointment on myturn.ca.gov, try 3rd-party booking sites (e.g., COSTCO, CVS, Ralphs, Walgreens). Their appointments don't require e-signatures.

  • Call the COVID Hotline (833-422-4255) to book appointments in 250+ languages.

  • Be prepared to combat misinformation with Myth Busters (Spanish)