ALEXANDRIA, Va.—As the vaccines against COVID-19 become more available, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published a toolkit to help essential employers inform their workers about vaccines to protect against COVID-19, raise awareness of the vaccines and address common questions and concerns.

Designed specifically for employers of essential workers, the toolkit contains a variety of resources that employers can use virtually or in person. There are downloadable posters and flyers to encourage vaccinations, a draft article for a company newsletter or blog, sample social media messages and images, a summary of key messages to use in communications, an educational slide deck about vaccines and a draft letter introducing the materials to employees, among other materials which businesses can customize.

Also included are FAQs tailored to employers and employees. Among the 18 questions for employers are ones about requiring vaccinations, if other protective measures can be abandoned once the workforce is inoculated and how to reassure employees that the vaccines are safe.

For example, question No. 1 of the FAQ asks: What are the benefits of having a workplace COVID-19 vaccination program?

A: Making COVID-19 vaccination part of your workplace wellness program offers many benefits to you and your employees. To keep your workplace healthy, consider offering free, on-site COVID-19 vaccination at your business locations.

Question No. 7 asks: How can I encourage my employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

A: Consider hosting a vaccination clinic at your workplace, and contact the health department in your jurisdiction for guidance. Offer the vaccination at no charge and during work hours. If hosting a vaccination clinic at your workplace is not possible, consider other steps to encourage vaccination, listed below:

• Be flexible in your human resources policies. Establish policies that allow employees to take paid leave to seek COVID-19 vaccination in the community. Support transportation to off-site vaccination clinics.

• Use promotional posters/flyers to advertise locations offering COVID-19 vaccination in the community. Display posters about COVID-19 vaccination in break rooms, cafeterias, and other high-traffic areas.

• Post articles in company communications (e.g., newsletters, intranet, emails, portals) about the importance of COVID-19 vaccination and where to get the vaccine in the community.

The CDC said it plans to add more materials to the toolkit in the future. Access the COVID-19 Vaccine Communications Toolkit for Essential Workers here.

Coronavirus Resources

NACS has compiled resources to help the convenience retail community navigate the COVID-19 crisis. For news updates and guidance, visit our coronavirus resources page.