QUICK START GUIDE 

Preparing your Workforce for Vaccine Requirements 

UPDATED November 24, 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. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preface 

The United States is weathering one of the greatest health crises in our history. Fortunately, 

safe, and effective vaccines offer hope that we can turn the tide against COVID-19 and get back 

to life and the things we love. Vaccines save lives. They also require trust, transparency, and 

accountability. 

This document provides general guidance for communicating about COVID-19 vaccines to 

workers, customers, and other stakeholders. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so you should 

be prepared to customize outreach for groups with unique needs and questions. To help you get 

started, we’ve also prepared key messages, and guidance for responding to sensitive questions. 

Readers of this Guide should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any 

particular legal matter. No reader, user, or browser of this material should act or refrain from 

acting on the basis of information in this Guide without first seeking legal advice from counsel 

in the relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the 

information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to 

your particular situation. 

| 2 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents 

Introduction 

Summary of Recommendations 

How to Use This Guide 

I: Strengthen Your COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and Workplace Safety 

Protocol 

• Step 1: Designate a coordinator or task force.

• Step 2: Engage workforce populations that may have unique questions, concerns

or access needs. 

• Step 3: Draft your company policy. 

II. Educate and Encourage your Workforce 

III: Support Vaccine Distribution in your Community 

Our Tools and Resources 

• Resources for Small Businesses 

• Resources in Spanish 

Additional Resources 

• CDC Resources 

• Health Equity 

• Data and Tracking 

• Public Opinion 

• Mental Health 

• Media & Entertainment 

• Communications 

• Employer Resources 

• Small Business Resources 

| 3 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction 

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep vulnerabilities in our nation’s public health 

infrastructure. We’ve lost lives, intensified inequities, and eroded years of progress across our 

economy. Getting back to our lives—back to seeing our loved ones, back to school and back to 

business—requires that we turn the tide against COVID-19 and create a stronger, healthier 

future for all of us. Vaccines, highly effective and safe, offer hope and protection that can help 

our country and our economy rebuild and recover. 

We’re on our way, but significant challenges remain, including the emergence of a highly

transmissible Delta variant that’s driving a new wave of infections across the country. Public

health officials warn that we must encourage many more Americans to get vaccinated, 

including more than 80 million people in the United States who are currently eligible for 

vaccines but remain unvaccinated and at real risk. 

On September 9, 2021, the Biden administration announced a new plan that obligates all 

employers with more than 100 workers to require vaccination or weekly testing for COVID-19. 

Now that the question of whether to require vaccinations has been settled, employers face a 

long list of questions about how to do it. 

The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) plans to issue 

an Emergency Temporary Standard implementing the new requirement in the coming weeks. 

Fortunately, there are now numerous examples of companies that have implemented vaccine 

mandates successfully; the roadmap is already in place. Employers that have not already 

begun laying the groundwork for vaccine requirements will need to act swiftly. Employee 

communication and engagement strategies, stakeholder feedback coupled with change 

management can do much to maintain morale and avert staff losses. 

This guide is designed to help you get started. 

| 4 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary of Recommendations 

A fully vaccinated workforce creates the safest possible workplace environment for 

employees and customers. It may also be the most equitable policy, especially if the 

alternative is regular testing, paid for by your workers. If a vaccination requirement is not an 

option for your business, we recommend these steps: 

● Routine Testing: Require all workers and regular visitors (not retail customers) to 

be routinely screened with a rapid test, at least weekly. Repeated negative tests 

provide a high degree of certainty that the individual is not infectious. Beginning 

January 4, 2022, testing at least weekly is required for employers of 100 or more 

workers who do not have a COVID-19 vaccination requirement. 

● Proof of Vaccination: Allow anyone who provides proof of full vaccination 

(accounting for the appropriate time period after the final vaccine) to bypass the 

routine testing requirement. 

● Support Workers: Employers are encouraged to provide paid time off for 

vaccinations and recovery from possible side effects — which is required for 

employers of 100 or more workers beginning December 6, 2021. Businesses should 

extend this support to working parents who choose to vaccinate eligible children, too. 

Consider organizing on-site vaccination clinics for workers and families, or offering 

transportation support, childcare, or incentives to improve access to vaccines. 

● Mask Use: Require masks for all employees and customers, regardless of 

vaccination status, in areas with substantial or high transmission. As more people 

get vaccinated in these areas, transmission rates are expected to drop. Beginning 

December 6, 2021, employers of 100 or more workers must require unvaccinated 

workers to wear masks. 

Employers are encouraged to: 

1. Create a clear COVID-19 vaccination policy for employees, part-time workers, 

temporary workers, and contractors that requires or encourages vaccination, 

reduces barriers, and makes it easy for them to get vaccinated. Your policy should be 

| 5 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

aligned with your company’s values and reflect the unique needs, concerns, and 

questions of diverse communities. 

2. Share facts about the safety and benefits of COVID-19 vaccines. This can include 

inviting trusted experts to answer questions during paid working hours. 

3. Create a safe, supportive workplace culture where all workers feel supported. 

Understand that no community shares all of the same beliefs, perceptions, and concerns. 

Every individual is unique, and every employee deserves to have their questions answered 

before deciding about vaccines. Getting vaccinated is an individual choice that you should 

respect — even if it means an employee cannot continue working for you. 

4. Strengthen vaccination efforts in your community by engaging with public health 

departments, nonprofit organizations and others involved in the vaccine response. 

As you consider how to implement your company’s COVID-19 vaccination policy and workplace 

safety protocols, you should be guided by trust and empathy, meaningful input from workers 

representing communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, the specific values of 

your company, and needs of your community. 

How to Use This Guide 

This Quick Start Guide provides employers with key policy considerations, recommended 

actions, and tools you can use to: 

1. Establish a COVID-19 vaccination policy and plan. 

2. Educate employees, workers, and other stakeholders about the importance, efficacy, 

and safety of COVID-19 vaccination, and encourage them to get vaccinated. 

3. Accelerate the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination efforts in the 

communities you serve and engage with local public health departments to support 

vaccination efforts. 

| 6 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I: Strengthen Your COVID-19 Vaccination Policy 

and Workplace Safety Protocol 

All employers are encouraged to develop a COVID-19 vaccination policy and workplace safety 

protocol that reflects a careful review of the latest public health, legal and safety considerations. 

As employers weigh these options, they should prioritize the health and safety of workers and 

customers and consider local community vaccination rates and guidance from local public 

health officials. They should also plan to regularly evaluate and update policies and protocols as 

the pandemic and federal, state, and local guidance evolve. 

A fully vaccinated workforce creates the safest possible workplace environment for 

employees and customers. Everyone in the United States ages 5 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 free and widely available at more than 80,000 

locations across the country, including over 40,000 retail pharmacies. Ninety percent of 

Americans live within five miles of a vaccine site. 

Against the backdrop of a still-rapidly surging Delta variant, employers should develop a plan to 

remove barriers to vaccination and make it easier for employees and workers to get vaccinated 

at their earliest opportunity. Existing plans and policies may need to be updated to reflect the 

federal requirements for companies of 100 or more workers and the recommendations that 

employers offer paid time off and other support to working parents who want to vaccinate 

eligible children against COVID-19. 

Three Implementation Steps: 

Step 1: Designate a coordinator or task force. 

Building your company’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and Workplace Safety Protocol will 

require navigating technical, logistical, organizational and communications challenges. 

Identify a leader within your company whose adept at responding to employee, worker, and 

stakeholder questions, and is well-positioned to coordinate with management, human 

resources, employee resource groups, workers, and labor representatives, as appropriate. 

Leading your company’s COVID-19 vaccine planning is a complex and time-consuming 

| 7 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

assignment, so be sure to empower a leader who has the authority, trust, empathy, 

communication skills and capacity to serve in this role. 

For larger companies, you may want to establish a COVID-19 vaccine task force with 

representation from each of the key departments. Input from a racially and ethnically diverse 

cross section of your company can help ensure you understand specific needs and questions 

within communities that have been hit hardest by the virus. 

What should they do? 

● Review the latest public health, legal and safety considerations that can inform the

development of your company’s plan.

● Coordinate among internal and external stakeholders.

● Identify and minimize any barriers to vaccination, such as time off, daycare or

transportation.

● Gather employee and worker feedback in real time and listen to questions and

concerns.

● Engage employees and workers from disproportionately impacted communities,

including via employee resource groups and other networks that represent workers

at highest risk.

● Stay abreast of employee vaccination trends and concerns to adapt the plan as

needed.

● Oversee internal and external vaccination communications.

● Identify opportunities for your company to partner with state and local public health

agencies and community-based organizations to support vaccine distribution in

your area.

● Establish measurements of your policy’s effectiveness, including changes in

vaccination rates, exemptions requested and received, administrative costs,

employee satisfaction, and personnel turnover.

| 8 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 2: Engage workforce populations that may have unique questions, 

concerns, or access needs. 

As you develop or refine your plan, make sure you proactively engage leaders of your 

company’s employee resource or affinity groups and other employee populations that may

have unique questions, concerns, or access needs. This isn’t about convincing workers to trust

the vaccine; it’s about understanding their perspectives and concerns and working together to 

identify solutions. Because some demographic groups face barriers to vaccines, those 

employees may be negatively and disproportionately impacted by a vaccination requirement. 

Below are strategies you may consider: 

• Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, American Indian, and Alaska Native communities 

have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and have experienced higher 

rates of hospitalization, severe illness, and death. If you’re not a member of these

population groups, start by learning more about why these inequities exist and how 

they might contribute to additional questions about vaccines. You can support 

employees and workers by acknowledging the deep historical traumas and 

structural inequalities that lead to poorer health outcomes and contribute to 

greater mistrust. 

• Invite leaders from your company’s employee resource groups to participate in your

company’s COVID-19 Vaccine task force and meaningfully contribute to developing 

your company’s vaccine plan.

• Organize listening sessions with your employees that represent communities 

disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 to make sure all interests are heard and 

develop plans that meet the communities’ needs.

• Reach out to local community organizations, healthcare provider networks, faith 

leaders or other trusted influencers within diverse populations to seek their counsel 

and feedback on your company’s plan. 

Step 3: Draft your company policy. 

On November 4, 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued new 

rules that obligate all employers with 100 or more workers to require vaccination or weekly 

testing for COVID-19. A fully vaccinated workforce creates the safest possible workplace 

| 9 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

environment for employees and customers. Many companies have announced policies to 

require vaccinations for all or part of their workforce, adding to the millions of federal workers 

and contractors now required to show proof of vaccination. 

If a vaccination requirement is not an option for your business, we 

recommend these steps: 

• Routine Testing: Require all workers and regular visitors (not retail customers) to be 

routinely screened with a rapid test, at least weekly. Repeated negative tests provide 

a high degree of certainty that the individual is not infectious. Beginning January 4, 

2022, testing at least weekly is required for employers of 100 or more workers who 

do not have a COVID-19 vaccination requirement. 

• Proof of Vaccination: Allow anyone who provides proof of full vaccination 

(accounting for the appropriate time period after the final vaccine) to bypass the 

routine testing requirement. 

• Support Workers: Employers are encouraged to provide paid time off for 

vaccinations and recovery from possible side effects—which is required for 

employers of 100 or more workers beginning December 6, 2021. Businesses should 

extend this support to working parents who choose to vaccinate eligible children, 

too. Consider offering paid time off and other incentives for vaccination and 

recovery from possible side effects, including for working parents who choose to 

vaccinate eligible children. Consider organizing on-site vaccination clinics for 

workers and families, or offering transportation support, childcare or incentives 

to improve access to vaccines. 

• Mask Use: Require masks for all company’s employees and customers, regardless 

of vaccination status, in areas with substantial or high transmission. 

Our recommendations are based on public health guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC), safety guidance offered by the Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA), legal considerations established by the Equal Employment 

Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and additional feedback from COVID Collaborative and the 

National Safety Council. Here are some of the key questions your company’s policy should

address: 

| 10 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vaccine Requirements 

• Must I require vaccinations for my employees? 

• What are my options for confirming vaccination status? 

• How should I handle vaccine exemption requests? 

• If I don’t require vaccines, how will I manage a partially vaccinated workforce?

• Can I ask customers for proof of vaccination or deny service to customers who 

aren’t vaccinated?

Paid Time Off & Incentives 

• Should I offer paid time off to workers for vaccinations and recovery, including to 

vaccinate eligible children? 

Masking & Other Safety Protocols 

• Should I require my employees and customers to wear masks? 

• Should I require COVID-19 testing for my employees? 

• Should I track or restrict employee travel? 

Prioritize Equity 

Equity should be top of mind as you develop your policy. Apply an equity and access “lens” to 

ask yourself whether your policy risks harming workers from populations already 

disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Here are some steps your company can take: 

• Consider applying a single policy across all sectors of your workplace. 

Having different requirements for different sectors of your workforce — for example, 

requiring vaccines for employees in the office, but not for those in customer-facing 

roles — risks creating a tiered system of safety. Especially if workers from 

disproportionately affected communities predominate in certain roles, employers 

should strive for a consistent policy that prioritizes everyone’s health and safety.

Make policies and enforcement transparent, consistent, and equitable across your 

workforce. 

| 11 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Offer positive incentives before taking punitive actions. 

Well-intended “nudges,” such as healthcare plan surcharges on unvaccinated

workers, might make health insurance unaffordable for lower-income employees, 

hourly workers, and communities of color. As an alternative, ask workers from hardhit communities what incentives would encourage them to get vaccinated and offer 

that instead. 

• Be thoughtful about your messengers and messages. 

Cultivate trusted messengers who reflect a diversity of communities and can speak 

to the unique concerns of affected groups. It’s also importantto make sure you have

messaging and resources in Spanish or other native languages spoken by your 

workforce. In written communications and in conversation, build trust, express 

empathy, and listen for what’s holding people back then help them find their own 

reason to get vaccinated. 

• Share stories from like-minded employees who’ve gotten vaccinated.

Invite employees from underrepresented groups who have been vaccinated to 

share their vaccination experience, as well as stories of how the pandemic may have 

impacted them and their families. People are more likely to get vaccinated if they 

know a friend or family member who was vaccinated, and reassuring stories from 

peers are almost as important as getting the facts. 

• Provide ample time for employees to get vaccinated, including time that may 

be needed to learn more about vaccines or get questions answered from a 

doctor or other trusted source. 

Paid time off to get vaccinated and recover from possible side effects — for workers 

themselves and eligible family members — is one of the most significant barriers to 

vaccination. Even beyond that, employees may need time or assistance to navigate 

online portals to book appointments, to arrange travel to/from their vaccine 

appointment, and to plan for potential side effects to the vaccine. Some workers 

may need time to learn more about vaccines, speak with a doctor or other trusted 

source or consider how they’ll respond to workplace requirements before

ultimately getting their shot. And finally, make sure to extend paid time off, 

| 12 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

incentives and other benefits across your entire workforce, including hourly, 

seasonal, and part-time workers. 

Employers should also consult their legal counsel and review state and local laws before 

making any decisions about workplace policies related to the pandemic. 

Additional Ways to Support Workers 

Research has shown additional ways employers can support or incentivize workers to get 

vaccinated. 

● Cover out-of-pocket expenses associated with vaccination. This could include 

offering an Uber or Lyft gift card for transportation, a small stipend for lunch or 

reimbursement for childcare. 

● Extend benefits and support to your entire workforce, including temporary, part-time 

or contract workers. 

● Help identify where workers can get vaccinated. Search vaccines.gov, text your 

ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations near you. 

● Offer internet access or language support services to help employees and workers 

schedule appointments. 

● Some small businesses may be able to partner with a local public health department 

or other providers to offer on-site vaccinations to employees, even during late 

shifts, and to their eligible family members. 

● Consider providing small prizes, rewards, or other modest financial incentives 

(i.e., gift cards, coupons, tokens, etc.) to employees and customers workers who get 

vaccinated. 

● Remind employees that vaccines are free and available to everyone in the United 

States ages 5 and older, regardless of immigration status. You don’t need health 

insurance to get a COVID-19 vaccine. 

| 13 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

II. Educate and Encourage Your Workforce 

There are still 80 million Americans who are eligible to get vaccinated but remain unvaccinated 

and at real risk. As an employer, the most important thing you can do is communicate with 

your employees, workers and customers about the benefits and safety of COVID-19 

vaccines and encourage them to get vaccinated. Your outreach can also help counter 

misinformation about vaccines. 

Vaccines save lives. They also require trust, transparency, and accountability. The factors that 

influence a person’s decision to get vaccinated are nuanced and affected by how they see and

experience the world. Science and facts aren’t the only predictors of human behavior. People

make vaccine decisions based on social norms, their perceptions of how others will view their 

decision, feedback from people they trust, their perceptions of risk, the consistency of 

messages and the convenience of getting vaccinated. 

It all starts with trust 

It’s important you share trusted information from the CDC, FDA, and other public health 

experts, as well as perspectives and encouragement from trusted community leaders to help 

your employees, workers, customers, and other stakeholders make the best decisions for 

themselves and their families. And you can listen and respond to their questions and needs, as 

well as dispel misinformation about company policies or vaccination issues that may arise. 

All vaccine requirements, whether mandated by the federal government or initiated 

independently, need thoughtful planning and communication. To help you get started, we 

offer general communications guidance to help employers communicate about COVID-19 

vaccine requirements to workers, customers, and the media. There’s no one-size-fits-all 

approach, so you should be prepared to customize outreach for groups with unique needs and 

questions. 

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

● We all want to get back to our lives. Vaccinations can help us get back too many of 

the things we miss most. This includes spending time with loved ones and friends, 

traveling and going to events. 

| 14 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

● Here at [COMPANY], we’re committed to sharing trusted information about COVID19 vaccines. Our mission is [ADD HERE], and helping our employees and workers 

stay healthy is a top priority. 

Note: Make a direct connection between your mission and your motives for sharing 

vaccine information. Be direct and transparent. Will COVID-19 vaccines help you work 

better together? Allow your employees to get back out into the community? Ensure that 

the services you provide are safe? Let your people do the work they love? 

Vaccines are free and widely available. 

● Everyone in the United States ages 5 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. 

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 

| 15 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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. 

● 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. 

● 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, CDC 

recommends that you receive a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna 

COVID-19 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. 

Our organization’s top priority is the health and safety of our employees, their

families, and our customers. 

| 16 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

● 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. 

● 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 COVID-19, 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 CDC. 

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? (For answers to frequently asked questions

about COVID-19 vaccines, visit vaccines.gov.) 

| 17 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

III: Support Vaccine Distribution in Your 

Community 

Delivering and administering hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccinations represents one the 

greatest communications, logistical and public health challenges in our country’s history. The 

private sector has unique expertise and resources that can help accelerate the vaccine response, 

save lives, and contribute to a faster recovery. 

There are many ways your company might support local public health officials and strengthen 

vaccine distribution in your community. 

• Lead by example. As a trusted leader in your community, you can encourage 

other businesses to share facts about the safety and benefits of vaccines; offer paid 

time off to workers for vaccine appointments and recovery, including to attend 

vaccine appointments with eligible children; and align workplace safety protocols 

with the latest public health guidance. 

• Encourage your local chamber of commerce or rotary club to host an educational 

conversation on the role of businesses in the vaccine response, and volunteer to 

share what you’ve learned.

• Encourage your customers to get vaccinated by offering special coupons, 

discounts, or other incentives. 

• Share vaccine facts on your product packaging or at your place of business. 

• Donate advertising space or airtime to your local public health department or to 

community organizations that are educating the public about the vaccines. (Or if 

they don’t have a local campaign, sponsor them to create one or donate your ad 

agency’s time to help.)

• Engage with your local public health department to help address other needs, 

including transportation, childcare, language support or other services that may 

help improve access and remove barriers to vaccination in your community. 

| 18 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’d like to donate space, staff, or supplies to aid local vaccination efforts, your local public 

health department is the place to start. For those who are not already in contact with their local 

public health department, this outreach can serve as an introduction that helps to build a 

longer-term partnership focused on your company’s health, wellness, and preparedness goals. 

Tools and Resources 

• U.S. Small Business Administration: COVID-19 Guidance and Loan Resources

• COVID-19 Dashboard (also available in Spanish)

• Data Tracker

• Science and Research

• Vaccines

• Workplace Guidance and Strategies

• Communication Resources

• Public Service Announcements

• Stress and Coping

• What to Expect After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

• Newsletter/Blog Content

• “I Got My COVID Vaccine” Stickers

• Download video PSAs from CDC

• Download radio PSAs from CDC

• CDC: COVID-19 Vaccine Resources and Communications Resources

• U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration COVID19 Guidance by Industry

| 19