Calling all Scientists and student scientists-in-training: put your science communication skills to work to get NY vaccinated!

Join Vaccination Conversations with Scientists (VaCS) to help our community understand the science behind the COVID-19 vaccines and other critical vaccines.

Sign up today using this form!

Traditional public health messaging alone is insufficient to promote uptake of COVID-19 vaccines; among New York State residents, less than 12 % are completely up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.

We help build trust between scientists and the community by initiating compassionate conversations about vaccines with people in our local area to promote educated heath decisions.

There are several different types of outreach opportunities:

• tabling at community events
• phone-banking (hybrid–held multiple days a week)

We have made over 12,000 phone calls, have a network of over 100 Cornell scientists, and hosted numerous tabling and canvassing events jointly with the Tompkins County Health Department, Cayuga Medical Center, and health departments from surrounding counties.

While it might seem like an impossible task, 29% of our conversations with unvaccinated people have actually increased the self-reported likelihood of vaccination!

You do NOT need to be an expert in COVID-19 or other vaccines! We will provide training to prepare you on the science, as well as communication strategies to deal with controversial topics.

WHAT DO WE DO?

VaCS started as a collaboration between several county departments of health and Cornell Advancing Science and Policy, with funding support from the Provost’s Office. We are now a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Transformative Action, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our goal is to engage the community and answer questions about vaccine safety and COVID-19. We reach people through phone-banking (remote/hybrid) and tabling/canvassing (in-person).

WHO CAN JOIN?

We welcome scientists of any level: grad students, postdocs, advanced undergraduates, laboratory staff, and faculty! We welcome scientists at the Cornell Ithaca Campus, Weill Cornell, Ithaca College, and other local universities.

If you are an undergraduate student at Cornell University, you can join our undergraduate volunteer club, the VaCS-Cornell Student Chapter (VaCS-CSC). With a founding principle of “… any person … any study,” Cornell is an equal opportunity employer and educator.

Join on CampusGroups here.

WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?

It’s up to you! We expect that you will attend at least 1 event per month, however your commitment is flexible. You can also get more involved by joining VaCS leadership to help with behind-the-scenes work, such as organizing events and managing the data.

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COVID-19 OR VACCINES?

You do NOT need to be an expert in COVID-19 or vaccines! Your expertise as a scientist has prepared you to understand the data and communicate it succinctly with others. We will host training sessions to prepare you on the specific details of COVID-19 and vaccines that may come up in conversation, as well as communication strategies to deal with controversial topics and debunking misinformation.