Speakers:

Bechara Choucair, MD - Vaccinations Coordinator - White House COVID Response Team

John T. Carlo, MD, MS - CEO, Prism Health North Texas - Chair of Council on Legislation, Texas Medical Association

Tom Banning - Executive Director, Texas Academy of Family Physicians

The emergence and spread of the COVID-19 delta variant has made it abundantly clear that unless we get a majority of our population fully vaccinated, there is no end to this pandemic. Emerging research has suggested that several important factors underlie vaccine hesitancy and skepticism. Individuals that do not have an ongoing relationship with a trusted primary care physician tend to have lower vaccination rates. This, combined with a general mistrust for government and the proliferation of vaccine misinformation are associated with vaccine hesitancy amongst population groups. However, we have an opportunity to leverage the power of primary care in overcoming this critical challenge. Decades of research have proven the role of continuous and person centered primary care on improving patient trust and engagement. We will discuss the challenges that we face as a state and the system, how can primary care respond to these challenges and lead the charge on putting an end to this pandemic.

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