Covid-19 Vaccine Confidence Campaign
For Immediate Release
August 13, 2021
PHYSICIAN ON A MISSION
Fraser Northwest Family Physicians Advocate for the COVID-19 Vaccine
Fraser Northwest Division of Family Practice recently launched a campaign called Physician on a Mission to tackle vaccine hesitancy by amplifying the voices of family physicians in the Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster, Vancouver and Greater Vancouver regions. This campaign was funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Vaccine Community Innovation Challenge.
This video series focuses on minority groups by having family physicians speak in various languages (English, Korean, Farsi, Cantonese, & Arabic). There are 4 different topics which include the importance of reliable information when it comes to your health and the vaccine, the safety of vaccines for maternity & breastfeeding parents, the emphasis of receiving the second dose, and talking to your doctor if you have concerns about the vaccines.
False or misleading information is everywhere and it can be hard to know who to trust and where to turn when it comes to reliable Covid-19 vaccine information. Dr. Vincent Wong, a Family Physician from Coquitlam BC, shares a message in English and in Cantonese on the importance of seeking reliable information when it comes to your health and the vaccine, encouraging patients to talk to their family doctor if they have any questions or concerns.
“It’s important to seek information from reliable sources because there is simply a lot of information out there. Resources like UpToDate and the Government have backed up data and are supported by science. Those are the kind of resources that people should be looking for.”
- Dr. Vincent Wong, Coquitlam BC Family Physician
In addition, Dr. Nahla Fahmy shared her input on the importance of receiving your second dose in English and in Arabic. She talks about the combination of vaccines, the quality of the vaccines and how they protect you.
“We can only get the full effectiveness of the vaccines if we get the second dose. Getting vaccinated is not only important for ourselves but our family, friends and loved ones.”
- Dr. Nahla Fahmy, New Westminster & Coquitlam Family Physician
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in many different ways; In this video, Dr. Nazanine Rahnema, a New Westminster family physician shares what she’s looking forward to as we return back to “normal life” in English and in Farsi.
“Getting the COVID-19 vaccine means being able to see my friends and family again and giving them a long overdue hug. I’m looking forward to travelling and seeing my brother who I haven’t seen in over a year.”
- Dr. Nazanine Rahnema, New Westminster Family Physician
Taking care of our own health is important, and when it comes to having a child, making the decision to get the vaccine can be overwhelming. Dr. Kathy Jones, a maternity doctor who has been practicing for over thirty years in New Westminster, shares her knowledge and expertise in this video (English) with people who are pregnant, breast-feeding or expecting to have a baby in the future.
“Right from the moment women know they are pregnant, their baby becomes their paramount concern. We know that women who are pregnant are more vulnerable to getting sicker if they get any virus including COVID-19. The vaccine cannot harm the mom nor can it harm the baby”
- Dr. Kathy Jones, New Westminster Family & Maternity Physician
We often value our families’ health and happiness above our own, and in this video Dr. Jennifer Yun, a family physician in Port Moody BC, talks to her elderly mother (in Korean) about her experience during the pandemic and what she’s looking forward to as we progress towards leaving the pandemic behind us.
Data has shown that some young people are more hesitant to receive their second dose. As a millennial himself, Dr. Ravi Parhar, a family physician in Vancouver, shares information about why it’s important to receive your second dose in this video (English).
“Getting your second dose is important because it provides further protection for yourself as well as protecting others around you and increasing herd immunity.”
- Dr. Ravi Parhar, Vancouver Family Physician
Family physicians have been investing their time, energy and tireless efforts to help end this pandemic over the last 17 months. Getting vaccinated means protecting those most vulnerable, it means protecting the people we love most, and it means getting back to normal. Thank you to everyone who has done their part thus far by getting vaccinated, wearing masks, social distancing and getting tested when ill.
Get vaccinated by going to the Government of BC’s Get Vaccinated webpage.
If you have any questions about your health or the vaccine please reach out to your family doctor. If you don’t have a family doctor, go onto the Pathways Medical Care Directory to search for a family doctor in your area.
Fraser Northwest Division of Family Practice is one of 35 Divisions in British Columbia that make up the Divisions of Family Practice, an initiative of the Family Practice Services Committee, a partnership between the Province of BC and Doctors of BC.
Fraser Northwest Division of Family Practice currently has over 400 members that provide primary care services in Anmore, Belcarra, Coquitlam, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody.
Links
Fraser Northwest Division Website
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Media contact
Kristan Ash
