Vaccine Pause Underscored the Need for More Responsive Patient Communication

In early spring, Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) version of the COVID-19 vaccine was poised to fill several vaccination gaps as a viable alternative to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Its one-shot, easy-to-store logistical advantages could accomplish what the other vaccines could not—namely reach patients in rural areas, underserved populations, the homeless, and potentially even be offered door-to-door. Needless to say, many were also drawn to the appeal and utility of only getting one shot over two.

But just as the J&J vaccine rollout was beginning to pick up steam after its February 2021 debut, it all came to a screeching halt on April 13. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended vaccine providers temporarily pause distribution of the shots when rare and severe blood clots were found in six women between the ages of 18 and 48. Though 6.8million Americans had already received the J&J vaccine, health officials did not want to take any chances—opting to take a “timeout” and investigate its risk.

The ripple effect of the vaccine’s freeze was immediate and sweeping, including for outreach programs aimed at inoculating underserved populations. For starters, mobile vaccine clinics in Colorado and California were canceled while similar events for restaurant employees and aviation workers in Chicago were postponed indefinitely. Appointments for student vaccine clinics at universities and colleges across the country were canceled. The hiatus disrupted J&J vaccine distribution at state, county, and local levels, and interrupted vaccinations for the military and at national retail outlets like CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Walmart.

Understandably, the vaccine’s holding pattern quickly morphed overnight into a communication and logistics nightmare both for the public and vaccine providers. Millions who had already had J&J shots worried what it might mean for their health while patients scheduled to receive the J&J dose were left hanging and waiting for answers. Vaccine providers were left in the lurch as they scrambled to alert patients about the pause, cancel appointments, and tried to reschedule other vaccines. Patients wanted answers fast.

In hindsight, we know the J&J vaccine pause ended 10 days after it began. The FDA concluded its investigation and reaffirmed the drug’s safety and efficacy for resumed use, though adding warning labels and fact sheets about potential risks. In essence, FDA experts determined that the protections the J&J vaccine offers far outweigh the risks of getting a blood clot, and they will continue to monitor any ongoing cases.

However, the chaos and confusion that ensued because of the vaccine’s sudden pause underscore the vital importance of health care organizations being able to efficiently reach patients when needed. Their ability to speedily circulate information among patients when time is of the essence is critical to allay fears and offer reassurance and guidance. Vaccine providers who were able to promptly share timely vaccine information—such as the following messages—were able to greatly benefit patients:

• The J&J vaccine is on pause and current appointments need to be rescheduled.
• The risk from COVID-19 infection is far greater than any of the risks from the vaccines.
• The pause proves that careful monitoring of vaccine safety is taking place.
• Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are also safe and effective. Please reschedule to receive one.

Although these are easy statements to make, it is impossible for hospitals and health systems to rapidly connect when they rely on slow, outdated patient engagement tools such as phone calls, emails, and patient portal messages. This is where the value of modern and accessible communications technology that can deliver news, information, and alerts quickly can come into play. Proven mediums like text messaging are not only fast, convenient, and consumer-friendly, they are also how most patients want to communicate. According to survey findings, 84% of patients want increased automated communications with providers during COVID, and nearly 80% of patients want to receive text messages from their providers.

The practical need for fast communication with patients is not limited to health warnings like the J&J vaccine pause. There are any number of scenarios where messages sent using the speed and efficiency of automation or group messaging would be invaluable, including alerts about COVID or flu shots, mass health alerts, closures due to inclement weather or disasters, and many others. A text-first approach to patient engagement means you’re more effectively meeting large numbers of patients where they are, when they need it, and at a moment’s notice. 

For example, a large health system in Alaska was able to use its group messaging capabilities to send 20,000 text messages to nearly 10,000 eligible patients to rollout their COVID vaccine program. Within a matter of weeks, they were able to vaccinate nearly 5,000 patients from those efforts.

Setbacks and disruptions like the J&J vaccine pause are inevitably going to happen. But health care organizations that are well-prepared with text-based communication strategies supported by innovative patient engagement capabilities will be the most effective at reaching out to patients when it matters the most. 

About Mr Weiner

Josh Weiner is the CEO of SR Health by Solutionreach. He joined Solutionreach from Summit Partners, a leading global growth equity firm. Through his work with Summit Partners, Josh served on the Solutionreach board of directors for three years. Before Summit Partners, he was a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Josh is a graduate of Stanford University and resides in Salt Lake City with his wife and two children. Josh and his family spend as much time as possible exploring the natural wonders of Utah's mountains and deserts. Connect with him on LinkedIn @joshfweiner.

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