COVID-19 Vaccines

A Conversation Guide for Managers

UPDATED November 18, 2021

The SBA would like to thank the Health Action Alliance for the generous 

donation of this valuable COVID 19 content.

SBA’s acceptance of this Gift does not constitute an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or 

services of the donor or any other person or entity. As public health information is constantly evolving, 

we are committed to regularly updating our materials. All opinions, conclusions, and/or 

recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of 

the SBA. This Guide contains links to third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the 

reader, user, or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
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The material that follows are illustrative for businesses to consider using in their 

conversations about vaccine use between managers and employees.

Introduction

The health and safety of our employees, workers and customers is our top priority. Now that 

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available to everyone in America ages 5 and older, we want our 

employees to have trusted information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other public health sources to help 

them make the best decisions for themselves and their loved ones.

We strongly encourage managers to discuss COVID-19 vaccines during an upcoming team 

meeting and guide a group conversation using the information below. 

6 Tips for a Conversation about COVID-19 Vaccines

1. Listen more than you talk. This is a conversation, not a debate. It’s not your job to 

convince people to get vaccinated. Rather, you’re sharing information to help them 

make their decision. Be positive, inviting, and respectful. Acknowledge “the choice is 

yours to make with your doctor or healthcare provider.”

2. Lead with empathy. Respect people’s concerns and acknowledge that it’s ok for 

everyone—even you—to have questions about vaccines. Don’t talk down to people, 

lecture or make people feel guilty. Instead, be understanding, positive and hopeful. 

Listen for what’s holding people back then help them find their own reason to get 

vaccinated. 

3. Facts about safety matter. Don’t just say “the science is solid.” Provide facts about the 

safety and efficacy of vaccines using the talking points provided below. Remember, you 

shouldn’t give medical advice, so encourage people with more advanced questions to 

talk with their doctor or healthcare provider. Finally, be sure to speak plainly and in a 

manner everyone will understand.

4. Emotions are important. Show how vaccinations can help us get back to the things 

we love, like connecting with others, spending time with family and friends, traveling,

and going to events. Some people may feel fear or mistrust. Others may be frustrated 

by the new variants or shifting public health guidance on masks. Listen for these 
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feelings and share facts to help people work through their concerns and frustration. 

5. Be inviting. As more people get vaccinated, ask them to share their stories with 

others. Hearing from someone who’s already been vaccinated is one of the best ways 

to put others at ease. Celebrate the people who have taken this step for their health 

and the health of others. 

6. Be authentic. Share why getting vaccinated and why vaccines are important to you 

and your family.

Proposed Talking Points

COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and they work. 

• There are multiple COVID-19 vaccines that have been granted Emergency Use 

Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means the 

clinical evidence for the vaccines have met the agency's rigorous scientific standards 

and are considered to be safe and effective. They have been studied in clinical trials 

with large and diverse groups of people, of various ages, races, and ethnicities.

• On August 23, 2021, the FDA announced full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 

for adults ages 16 and older. Full FDA approval takes longer than Emergency Use 

Authorization because more data needs to be processed and reviewed over a longer 

period of time. When a product is fully approved by the FDA, patients can be assured 

that its recommendation is grounded in large amounts of scientific data. 

• Vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes 

COVID-19 without having to get sick or put yourself and others at risk of severe illness 

and death.

• Getting vaccinated is a much safer way to build protection than getting the disease. 

COVID-19 can have serious, long-term, or life-threatening complications, and there is no 

way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. And if you get infected, you could spread the 

disease to friends, family, and others around you. 

• Evidence is emerging that people get better protection by being fully vaccinated, 

compared with having had COVID-19. One study showed that unvaccinated people 

who already had COVID-19 are more than twice as likely to get the virus again 

compared to people who are fully vaccinated.
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• You may have some side effects after getting vaccinated. That’s a normal sign that 

your body is building protection—and they should go away within a few days. Your 

arm may be sore or swollen. You may also feel tired, have a headache, fever, or chills. 

This does not mean you have COVID-19—in fact, it’s not possible to get COVID-19 

from vaccines.

• Vaccines are being administered by trained health professionals. Some people might 

be offered a vaccine that requires two doses, given several weeks apart, while other 

people might be offered a single-dose vaccine. It may take several weeks after 

vaccination for your body to be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.

• Federal health officials recommend a booster dose for certain populations (based on 

their age and underlying conditions), and have also made booster shots available to 

workers whose jobs put them at high risk of exposure to COVID-19. However, the CDC 

says not all workers in this category will need booster shots. Instead, they are 

available to those workers if they would like to get one, based on their individual 

benefits and risks. For now, boosters are available only to people who received the 

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 

• As of October 21, 2021, adults can “mix and match” any of the three COVID-19 

vaccines for their booster. A booster dose is available to all eligible adults regardless 

of which vaccine you initially received. 

• The vaccines’ effectiveness against COVID-19 remains high, especially in protecting 

people against serious illness or death. In fact, boosters show that medical experts 

are continuing to find ways to prolong protection through vaccines.

• If you are immunocompromised or have a weakened immune system, the CDC 

recommends that you receive a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID19 vaccines to strengthen your protection against Delta. You should speak with your 

doctor or healthcare provider about whether a third vaccine dose and other 

precautions are right for you. 
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I got vaccinated, and I hope you will too. Vaccines are 

important to me and my family because...

• COVID-19 vaccines can help us get back to the things we love.

• They help protect me and the people I love from getting COVID-19.

• They reduce hospitalizations and save lives.

• As more people get vaccinated, they’ll provide the safety and protection that will 

allow our economy to fully recover.

• We all want to protect our families, friends and loved ones. We want to get back to 

the moments we miss with our family and friends. Vaccinations can help us get back 

too many of the things we miss most, like spending time together, traveling, and 

attending events.

Vaccines are free and widely available.

• Everyone in the United States ages 12 and older is eligible to receive free COVID-19 

vaccines, regardless of immigration status. You don’t need health insurance to get 

vaccinated for COVID-19. 

• Vaccines are widely available at more than 80,000 locations across the country, 

including at over 40,000 retail pharmacies. Ninety percent of Americans live within 

five miles of a vaccine site.

• Search vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find 

locations near you.

• In order to protect yourself and prevent the spread, it’s important that you get 

vaccinated at your earliest opportunity.

My top priority is the health and safety of our staff, our 

families, and our customers. 

• If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19, stay home except to 

get medical care, separate yourself from other people and take other precautions to 

prevent the spread. And tell your manager as soon as safely possible so we can assess 

whether any other members of our team could have been exposed.
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• You should get tested for COVID-19 if you have symptoms, have close contact (within 

6 feet for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) with someone with 

confirmed COVID-19, or take part in activities that put you at higher risk for COVID19, regardless of vaccination status. 

o If you are already fully vaccinated, you should get tested 3-5 days after exposure, 

and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until you receive a 

negative test result.

o If you are not fully vaccinated, you should quarantine and get tested immediately 

after exposure, and, if negative, tested again in 5–7 days after last exposure or 

immediately if symptoms develop during quarantine.

• Even after you are fully vaccinated, CDC recommends that everyone wear masks in public 

indoor settings in areas with substantial or high COVID-19 transmission. A majority of

counties across the U.S. are experiencing either “substantial” or “high” transmission 

rates that call for indoor mask-wearing, according to the CDC. 

[COMPANY] is committed to helping you get the facts about vaccines. We also want to 

make it easier for you to get vaccinated or take eligible children to get vaccinated. Here 

are some ways [COMPANY] is supporting you:

Note: Add here details about your company’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, including any paid 

time off or other incentives you’re offering to employees and workers who get vaccinated. Below 

are best practice examples:

• [COMPANY] will offer paid time off to any employee or worker who gets vaccinated. 

If you do experience side effects, I’ll offer paid leave to help you fully recover.

• [COMPANY] will offer paid time off to working parents that choose to vaccinate 

eligible children against COVID-19, including time to care for children recovering 

from potential side effects.

• [COMPANY] will provide a transportation voucher (i.e., Uber/Lyft gift card, bus pass, 

subway card, etc.,) to help cover your transportation costs to and from a vaccine site.

• [COMPANY] will reimburse your meals on the day(s) you get vaccinated, up to 

$[amount].

• [COMPANY] will reimburse you for childcare expenses during your vaccine 

appointment(s), up to $[amount].
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Conversation Starters

• I thought we could start with a conversation about how everyone is feeling about 

COVID-19 vaccines, and what information you need to answer any questions. My role 

is to support you and help you get the answers you need.

• Has anyone here gotten vaccinated and wants to share their story?

• Does anyone want to share how COVID-19 vaccines have helped them reconnect with 

family and friends, travel, attend events, or take part in other activities? 

• Is there anything I can do to make it easier for you to get vaccinated at your earliest 

opportunity?

• For those of you still deciding, I have some information to share, and then let’s talk 

through your questions. I won’t be able to answer them all, but I’ll do my best to 

make sure you know where to get answers. 

• And if there are any questions I can’t answer, I encourage you to ask them to your 

doctor or another healthcare professional.

It is normal to have questions. 

• It’s normal to be cautious when something new comes along. Getting informed 

about COVID-19 vaccines is an important step to help us stop this pandemic.

• Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider. We all need to be comfortable with our 

decisions and your doctor can help.

• OK...what questions do you have?