About this Independent Study 

This activity was originally released on July 27, 2021 and is available for continuing education credit until October 30, 2025. This course was updated in October 2023. Once registered, you must complete the course within 150 days, or you will be deactivated. To be reactivated, contact us.

Healthcare providers will learn how to better understand vaccine hesitancy within the Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking population to address the disproportionately low childhood immunization rates and high number of COVID-19 illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths within Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking communities in Washington state. By preparing healthcare providers to better understand vaccine hesitancy within the Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking population, providers will be better able to foster vaccine confidence, identify language and cultural barriers that may impede vaccine hesitancy, and adopt strategies to initiate conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine.  

To Enroll

Select the Enroll button in the upper right corner of the screen.

Who Should Take This Course

Healthcare providers and others who work with Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking patients including physicians, nurses, pharmacists and medical assistants. 

Objectives 

After completing this online course, participants will be able to: 

• Describe low vaccination rates in the Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking communities of Washington;
• List key reasons why community members may be hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccines;
• Explain a health professional’s role in promoting vaccine confidence;
• Identify language and cultural barriers that may prevent having an open dialogue about COVID-19 vaccines with community members; and
• Adopt strategies to initiate conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine with Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking patients.

Continuing Education 

Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)  

Cardea Services is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by Montana Nurses Association, an accredited approver with distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 

Upon successful completion of this CE activity 1.25 contact hour(s) will be awarded. 

Continuing Medical Education (CME)  

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the California Medical Association (CMA) through the joint providership of Cardea and WithinReach. Cardea is accredited by the CMA to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

Cardea designates this independent study for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM. Physicians should claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.   

Continuing Education for Medical Assistants (AAMA)  

This program has been granted prior approval by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) for 1.25 continuing education unit(s). Granting approval in no way constitutes endorsement by the AAMA of the program content or the program provider. 

Successful completion of this continuing education activity includes the following:   

• Completing the entire online course
• Completing the online evaluation 
• Completing an online certificate module

Registration & Fees 

The eLearning course is free of charge.

Disclosures 

Dr. Gretchen LaSalle, planner for this educational activity, has received a research grant from Merck Pharmaceuticals. All of the relevant financial relationships listed for her have been mitigated. The other planners and presenters of this activity have no relevant financial relationships with any ineligible companies to disclose.    

Acknowledgements 

This eLearning course was developed by Julie Nanavati, MA, MLS in partnership with WithinReach and the WA State Department of Health and presented by Dr. Gretchen La Salle.  

Dr. Gretchen LaSalle is a board-certified Family Physician in Spokane, Washington and is a Clinical Associate Professor for the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. In 2020 Dr. LaSalle was accepted as an American Academy of Family Physicians Vaccine Science Fellow. She is passionate about prevention, community health, and education and is a self-described “semi-obsessed” vaccine advocate.  

We would also like to acknowledge Dr. Douglas, J. Opel, MD, MPH Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics University of Washington School of Medicine, Stacy Leman, Vaccine Quality Assurance Consultant for the Virginia Department of Health/Division of Immunization, and Dr. Tetyana Odarich, a physician at Sunrise Family Medical, Happy Valley, Oregon for their valuable contributions to this course.  

And, special thanks to the Former Soviet Union Vaccine Hesitancy Community Workgroup for their expertise and feedback. 

This eLearning course is supported by the Washington State Department of Health.