Penn State is aiming to fight COVID vaccine hesitancy among farmers at Ag Progress Days. Here’s how
Penn State’s Maria Luisa Tejada De Rivero — who goes by “Malu” for short — knows she can’t force farmers to get the COVID-19 vaccine. And she doesn’t want to.
But, as the agricultural industry fights vaccine hesitancy, the physician with a master’s degree in public health does want to give farmers the facts and science to make the best decisions they can. That’s why Tejada, or “Malu,” is helping lead a three-part series of COVID-19 dialogue sessions during Penn State’s Ag Progress Days.
The series, titled “Conversations that Matter: COVID-19 Dialogue Sessions and Exhibit,” will kick off at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the College Exhibit Building. It will then continue noon Wednesday and again 2 p.m. Thursday. Sessions, which are open to everyone, include the impact of COVID-19 on agriculture (Tuesday), the basic science of vaccines (Wednesday) and the differences/similarities between COVID-19 vaccines and animal vaccines (Thursday).
“This is really an excuse to get people talking again,” Tejada said. “For many people who are reluctant, it’s almost a gut feeling. If and when they do change their minds, it’s not because you suddenly presented them with some irrefutable data. It’s because, ‘My grandma got the vaccine and told me she was fine,’ or ‘My best friend got it’ — it’s because it hits close to home.”
Farmers around the commonwealth often turn to Penn State Extension, an organization that delivers science-based information to residents and the general public, for specific industry issues like soil problems or gardening questions. But Tejada also wants them to reach out if they have questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Based on the data, farmers and the agricultural industry could use that kind of support.
According to surveys and analysis from Pitt and Carnegie Mellon researchers, more than 40% of those who work in farming indicated prior to May that they would “probably not” or “definitely not” get the vaccine. Anecdotally, Tejada has seen that hesitancy backed up from her and Penn State Extension’s conversations with those who work on farms.
How owners think of the vaccine is often how their workers lean — so the key, Tejada said, is to start vaccine education with the former.
Some farmers allow mobile clinics on their land to vaccinate their workers. Others vocally oppose the vaccine, making workers hesitant to rock the proverbial boat — especially since it’s hard for such workers to find free time to schedule appointments for as many as two potential shots.
“When we would get feedback from some of our Extension educators ... they would say some (workers) would not want to get the vaccine because they felt it was frowned upon by the owners,” Tejada said. “This is just an impression from some of the feedback we heard. But, again those vulnerable populations really want to keep their jobs and just want to please the boss.”
Tejada, who will be on-hand at each of the three sessions, is an Extension educator who focuses on food, families and health. She helps oversee a new university program that seeks to educate traditionally underserved rural and Latin communities about vaccines.
The program, Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE), is part of a joint national effort between the nation’s Cooperative Extension System and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC recently gave $10 million to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which in turn channeled that money to land-grant universities — such as Penn State — for vaccine education.
Tejada is hoping this week’s dialogue sessions help advance EXCITE’s goals. And she feels like she has just as much to learn from the sessions, which are expected to last about 30 minutes, as the farmers and workers who attend.
“We want people to come, and we’re not going to be dismissive of people who say, ‘I didn’t get vaccinated because of this or that,’ “ Tejada said. “We’re interested in hearing why. And if we can have a conversation, that’s great for everyone.
“Because, irrespective of if we change people’s minds, it helps us understand: What do people need in terms of information? What are the misconceptions? Why don’t people trust the vaccine?”
