Why COVID-19 Still Matters: Ongoing Risk, Misperceptions, and Opportunities to Improve Vaccine Uptake

Program Description

Despite widespread availability of effective vaccines, COVID-19 continues to circulate year-round and remains a significant driver of hospitalizations, mortality, and severe illness, particularly among older adults and patients with comorbidities. Unlike influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, which follow predictable seasonal patterns, COVID-19's continuous transmission sustains a disease and economic burden that in many respects rivals or exceeds these more familiar respiratory diseases. Despite this, COVID-19 vaccine uptake continues to lag well behind influenza vaccination rates, driven in large part by persistent misconceptions about vaccine safety and effectiveness and by underestimation of the disease's true toll, including the risk of long COVID. Currently available COVID-19 vaccines span both mRNA and protein-based platforms, each with distinct mechanisms of action and differing tolerability and reactogenicity profiles that can shape patient acceptance. Emerging evidence even points to potential cardiovascular protective effects beyond infection prevention. As trusted, accessible immunizers, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to address factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy. Doing so requires a current understanding of COVID-19 epidemiology, comfort differentiating among available vaccine options, and practical strategies for boosting uptake, from coadministration with other recommended immunizations to seamless integration into pharmacy workflows. This session reviews the latest epidemiologic data on COVID-19's ongoing burden, a comparative look at available vaccine platforms and the evidence supporting their use, and actionable, evidence-based approaches pharmacists may employ to address patient hesitancy and improve vaccination uptake in their communities.

Target audience: Health-system, ambulatory care, and community pharmacists
Type of activity: Application
Release date: September 30, 2026
Expiration date: September 30, 2027
Learner level: Foundational, Intermediate
Time to complete activity: 1.5 hours
Fee: Free

Educational Objectives

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Explain the current epidemiology of COVID-19, including ongoing disease burden, variant evolution, and populations at increased risk for severe outcomes and long COVID
• Differentiate among available COVID-19 vaccine platforms, including mRNA and protein-based vaccines, with respect to mechanisms of action, effectiveness, and differences in tolerability and reactogenicity profiles that may influence patient acceptance
• Implement practical approaches to improve COVID-19 vaccination uptake in pharmacy practice, including coadministration with other recommended immunizations and integration into routine workflows

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This application-based activity is approved for 1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs) under the ACPE universal activity number 0290-0000-26-316-H06-P. The activity is available for CE credit through September 30, 2027.

Instructions for Completing the Activity and Receiving CPE Credit

To receive CPE credit, participants must complete the pretest, view the activity in its entirety, complete the posttest, and complete the online activity evaluation. After successful completion of the online activity evaluation, you can submit your credit to CPE Monitor. You may view your credit within 48 hours at www.mycpemonitor.net. All participants must request credit before the activity expiration date. CE credit will not be issued after this date.

Faculty

Daniel Park, PhD, MSPH, has the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose:

Grant/Research Support: Investigator-sponsored study, Sanofi

Speaker’s Bureau: Speaker, American Academy of Family Physicians FMX 2025; Sanofi

Tana Kaefer, PharmD, has the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose:

Consultant: Bavarian Nordic Advisory Board, Pfizer Steering Committee (Comirnaty)

Speaker’s Bureau: GSK, Merck

Other Support: Moderna, Voices for Vaccination Summit

Jeff Goad, PharmD, MPH, has the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose: Consultant: Bavarian Nordic, Moderna, Valneva; Grant/Research support: Merck.

The following contributors have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose:

Faculty

Jodi Longueil, PharmD

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ Planning Staff—Jim Palatine, RPh, MBA; Adam C. Welch, PharmD, MBA, FAPhA; Sarah Viruet and Brianna Winters

Any relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

At least one anonymous peer reviewer was used as part of content validation and conflict resolution. The peer reviewer has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Educational Disclaimer

Continuing professional education activities are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of professional advice or referral. Discussions concerning drugs, dosages, and procedures may reflect the clinical experience of the author(s) or be derived from the professional literature or other sources and may suggest uses that are investigational in nature and not approved by the labeling or indications. Participants are encouraged to refer to primary references or full prescribing information resources.

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[email protected]
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