Our speaker is Mark Depman, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Central Vermont Medical Center. This presentation covers vaccine facts and talking points for people who are vaccine reluctant. It also covers the importance of COVID-19 vaccine uptake and the impact substance use disorders have on the disease course of COVID-19.
Learning objectives:
- Understand how the COVID-19 virus works and the role of variants
- Understand how the COVID-19 vaccines work and the role of the booster
- Understand that universal vaccine uptake is our greatest tool against the COVID-19 pandemic
- Identify how substance use disorders are associated with increased morbidity and mortality from COVID-19
- Describe determinants of vaccine uptake in rural communities, especially among those with substance use disorders
- Discuss how misinformation spreads and how to utilize motivational interviewing to increase vaccine acceptance in rural communities
