The old adage “what a difference a year makes” has never been truer. January 2020 brought with it the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States and January 2021 saw the vaccination roll-out begin. With January 2022 around the corner, bringing with it the promise of our youngest children being eligible to get vaccinated later in the year, let’s take a look back at how far we’ve come in the past year.
January 2021
- The US saw a slow start to vaccination rollout. Local health departments overwhelmed with mass testing, contract tracing efforts and now planning for and administering vaccine.
- Eligible individuals frantically tried to find vaccine appointments.
- Despite the huge demand, vaccines were expiring before they reached people in need due to lags in distribution of vaccination to hospitals and health departments, as well as due to ordering more supply than needed in certain areas, resulting in public health workers going to great lengths to get shots in arms.
- Talk of the severity of a new variant – B117, or the “UK variant”.
- There was discussion around halving doses of vaccine to help to double the supply.
- Then President-elect Biden announced he intended to release nearly all available doses of the vaccine rather than hold back millions of vials to guarantee second doses will be available, setting off intense debate among public health community.
- President-elect Biden announced goal of 100 million shots in arms during his first 100 days in office.
- Most states are still prioritizing frontline healthcare workers and older Americans in group residential settings at this time. The Trump administration instructs states to begin vaccinating 65+ as well as those with medical conditions that put them at higher risk of dying from COVID-19.
Vitality’s response: Distributed a survey asking members about their vaccine intentions to assess plans to get vaccinated. Began a messaging campaign on the newsfeed to provide education to our members as well as a blog series on a variety of COVID-related topics.
February 2021
- Anthony Fauci announces that the general public should be eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine in as early as April.
- The US hits 500,000 COVID-related deaths.
- The FDA granted emergency use authorization for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which differed markedly from those already on the market, especially in terms of access – the J&J vaccine only required one dose and could be stored in regular refrigerators.
Vitality’s response: Launched a publicly accessible employer toolkit on our website to provide our clients and the public with resources to help their employees and behavioral science best practices for communicating about vaccines.
March 2021
- The hunt for vaccine appointments continued, with people going to pharmacies minutes before closing looking for expiring doses.
- Some states began lifting mask mandates, which was heavily criticized.
- President Biden, in his first prime-time address from the White House, said he would order states to make all adults eligible for the vaccine by May 1.
- Despite the US’s progress with the vaccine rollout, many countries lagged far behind.
- President Biden set a new goal of administering 200 million vaccines in his first 100 days in office.
Vitality’s response: Launched the “Stay Safe Together” goal campaign, along with other communication campaigns on our newsfeed, such as the “Tuesday tidbit” posts.
April 2021
- Pfizer announced preliminary results of their vaccine trial in teens 12-15 years which showed the vaccine was highly effective.
- Declines in COVID testing in certain regions may have been contributing to the reporting of lower case numbers.
- Early discussions began around vaccine passports.
- Health experts called for a pause in Johnson & Johnson vaccine while they examined a rare blood-clotting disorder.
- The CDC announced new mask guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals.
Vitality’s response: Launched a targeted campaign towards those who initially stated they were hesitant about getting the vaccine and re-assessed their vaccine intentions after viewing campaign materials.
May 2021
- The FDA authorized the Pfizer vaccines for teens ages 12-15 years
- States began to offer incentives to raise vaccination rates.
Vitality’s response: Used “Shot Stories” campaign featuring Vitality members talking about their reasons for getting the vaccine to promote vaccine acceptance and nudge take-up.
June 2021
- The US donated 25 million doses of vaccinations to Latin America, South and Southeast Asia and Africa.
- The US surpassed 600,000 deaths from COVID-19.
- The White House announced it would narrowly miss its July 4 vaccination goal of getting 70% of adults vaccinated by Independence Day.
- Started hearing about breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals.
- Concern mounted over the highly infectious Delta variant.
Vitality’s response: Continued to offer tailored messaging and resources to those members who still indicated they were hesitant about getting the vaccine or those members who had not yet submitted proof of their vaccine in order to earn Vitality Points.
July 2021
- Discussions began about whether booster shots will be needed.
- The Delta variant was making up more than 80% of cases in the US.
- Every state saw an uptick in cases after a steep plunge.
Vitality’s response: Launched the “Breaking Down the Headlines” series to help explain the latest COVID-19 news. Continued to support both vaccinated and unvaccinated members with tailored messaging on our newsfeed.
August 2021
- President Biden announced a mandate that all civilian federal employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be forced to submit to regular testing.
- The CDC recommended a third dose of the vaccine for immunocompromised people.
Vitality’s response: Continued to support both vaccinated and unvaccinated members with tailored messaging on our newsfeed, particularly around breakthrough cases and emotional fatigue as the pandemic continued.
September 2021
- US lifted pandemic travel restrictions with Europe.
- Pfizer announced their vaccine was safe and effective in low doses in children 5-11 years.
- The CDC recommended boosters for older adults, younger people at high risk for the disease, and frontline workers, including health care workers and teachers.
- Early evidence emerged that employer mandates were working.
Vitality’s response: Continued to support both vaccinated and unvaccinated members with tailored messaging on our newsfeed, particularly around breakthrough cases and emotional fatigue as the pandemic continued.
October 2021
- US death toll surpassed 700,000 despite wide availability of vaccines.
- US opened borders with Mexico and Canada for fully vaccinated travelers.
- The FDA authorized booster shots for many recipients of the Moderna vaccine and for all adults 18+ who had received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. They also announced allowing a mix and match approach to boosters.
- The FDA authorized the Pfizer vaccine for children 5-11 years.
Vitality’s response: Continued to support both vaccinated and unvaccinated members with tailored messaging on our newsfeed.
November 2021
- The first children in the US were able to get vaccinated. However, even those children who got immunized right away will not be considered fully vaccinated until after Thanksgiving and after the start of Hanukkah.
- US announced they will purchase nearly 10 million courses of Pfizer’s new pill to treat COVID-19, which had been shown to sharply reduce the risk of hospitalization and death.
- CDC endorses booster shots for all adults.
- Nearly 10% of the US’s children 5-11 years received their first shot by mid-November and nearly 80% of Americans 12 years and older had their first shot.
Vitality’s response: Promoted booster shots as well as vaccines for children on our newsfeed. Added additional resources for employers to our toolkit.
December 2021
- Omicron variant has been found in a number of countries, sparking concern about further lockdowns and whether the existing vaccines will protect against it.
- FDA authorized booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds at least six months after they received their second shot.
- The US nears 800,000 COVID-related deaths, with 1 in 100 older Americans having died from the disease
- Vitality’s parent company, Discovery Health, released the results of the first at-scale analysis of Omicron’s real-world impact in South Africa. They found the Pfizer vaccine offers significant protection against hospitalization and severe disease from Omicron infection.
Vitality’s response: Offered continued support to members on the newsfeed and the Vitality Insights blog. Created emotional support resources as well as resources to help members stay safe at social gatherings during the holiday season.
Lianne E. Jacobs, MPH, Health Communications Strategist, has a master’s degree in public health from Yale University. She is the only indoor cycling instructor who can’t ride a bike. She enjoys traveling the world, laughing at her own jokes, and tricking her husband into eating baked goods made with hidden vegetables.
