Vaccine humanity

Vaccines to help prevent COVID-19 disease have evoked myriad human emotions. Attitudes of the public toward vaccination can be grouped into hundreds of categories. Pharmacists need to recognize the many elements of what may be termed “vaccine humanity,” a complex tangle of human responses. Vaccine humanity applies to all vaccines, not just COVID-19 vaccines. Many of the emotions (pro and con) exhibited toward COVID-19 vaccines were also expressed (pro and con) with Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccine in the 1800s. New disease, new vaccines, same humanity. Human behaviors to seek or decline vaccination typically pivot on several core elements: perceptions of susceptibility to disease, seriousness of the disease, benefits of vaccination, and barriers (e.g., safety concerns, distance, costs, uncertainty). The pharmacist who contributes the time to listen and explain--listen and explain--listen and explain performs a vital clinical service: enabling vaccinations that promote health and prevent disease.