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Let's Talk COVID Vaccines

About Our Work

LetsTalkCovidVaccines is designed to support COVID vaccine decision-making. It shares engaging animated content and personal stories based on a person’s questions or concerns. With input from people like you, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Institute for Vaccine Safety (IVS) with public health partners created the customized content you find on this website. Its partner site, LetsTalkShots, focuses on other vaccines that are available throughout people’s lives.

 

The Institute for Vaccine Safety obtains and disseminates objective information on the safety of recommended immunizations by (1) providing a forum for dissemination of data regarding specific issues concerning the safety of immunizations, (2) investigating safety questions where insufficient data are available to provide definitive conclusions, (3) conducting methodological and empirical research on post-licensure vaccine safety evaluation, and (4) undertaking individual research projects to obtain specific information regarding vaccine safety when existing information about the safety of a specific vaccine is insufficient or flawed.

 

Meet the IVS team:

 

Daniel Salmon, PhD – Vaccinology & Vaccine Safety

Janesse Brewer, MPA – Community Engagement

Matthew Dudley, PhD – Vaccine Communication & Epidemiology

Tina Proveaux – Vaccine Safety & Communication

Angie Gust, PhD, MPH – Vaccine Acceptance (consultant)

Peter Orton, PhD – Instructional Design (consultant)

Michelle Goryn, MA – Project Management (consultant)

 

Partners

The Johns Hopkins Institute for Vaccine Safety (IVS) was fortunate to receive contributions to this project from many partners. 

  • Amelia Jamison, MAA, MPH – Project Coordination

    Rajiv Rimal, PhD –  Behavioral Science

    Holly Schuh, PhD – Vaccine Epidemiology

    Steve Harvey, PhD – Behavioral Sciences

    Matt Ahlert, MS, MBA – Public Health Practice

  • Robert Breiman, MD – Infectious Diseases

    Walter Orenstein, MD – Vaccine Policy

    James Lavery, PhD – Qualitative Research & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Jana Shaw, MD, MPH, MS – Pediatric Infectious Disease & Immunology

  • Amanda Forr – Communications

  • Lee-Sien Kao – Behavioral Science

    Ric LaGrange, PhD – Behavioral Science

  • Robina Josiah Willock, PhD – Health Equity & Research Methodology

  • Shaelyn Laurie – Survey Development

    Rikki Sargent, PhD – Social Psychology

  • Veronica Womack, PhD – Qualitative Research

  • Leo Weakland – Project Management

  • Jeongwon (Jeong) Yang, MA, MSc – Social Media Strategy

     

     

  • Mari Bonnemaison – Producer

    Annelise Moore – Producer

    Dave Partin – Producer

    Brooks Moore – Producer

Funders

The Johns Hopkins Institute for Vaccine Safety (IVS) was fortunate to receive funding for this project from many organizations. Funders were not involved in the creation or approval of project content in any way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LetsTalkCovidVaccines?

LetsTalkCovidVaccines is a website designed to support you with COVID vaccine decision-making.  It shares information on your top questions. The website was developed first by listening to people like you with questions about vaccines, who told us that they were looking for straightforward and science-based information they could trust, and stories of real people with the same questions others are faced with. With this understanding, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Institute for Vaccine Safety (IVS), with public health partners, created a website that answers the questions you most care about.  We also have a partner site dedicated to questions about other vaccines, beyond COVID-19, called LetsTalkShots. 

 

How was LetsTalkCovidVaccines funded?

This website and all the information was funded by a broad range of public health agencies. Funders did not have review nor approval of content featured on the site. 

 

What languages is LetsTalkCovidVaccines available in?

LetsTalkCovidVaccines is available in English and Spanish, as well as Canadian French.

 

How do I know if the content presented is factually correct?

We started by asking a lot of people, just like you, about the things they wonder and care about when it comes to vaccines. Then, we engaged experts on our team, in infectious diseases, immunology, vaccine effectiveness, vaccine safety, clinical practice, risk perception, communication, and decision-making. This team was responsible for getting the science right, including being transparent about what we know and don’t know, and presenting it in a manner that makes sense, and values your time.  

 

How does the website know what information to provide to me?

Because you guide it! When you visit our page, you take an anonymous survey that assesses what you are wondering about.You are also invited to share your zip code and other information to hear from people who live near you. Then we tailor what content you receive so that you get only the information you want and care about, and not more. 

 

What sources were used to create the content?

The content is based on the current scientific evidence available in the published literature. Care was taken to focus on high quality studies and findings across studies, while recognizing that scientific understanding is always evolving.