VaCS connects scientists with community members to engage in conversations with people in the Ithaca and surrounding communities about the COVID-19 vaccine and other critical vaccinations. It began in 2021 as a grad student-led initiative as part of ASAP, and is now transitioning to become a non-profit organization.

Traditional public health messaging alone is insufficient to promote uptake of COVID-19 vaccines; among New York State residents, less than 12 % are completely up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. VaCS members help build trust between scientists and the community by initiating compassionate conversations about vaccines with people in our local area to promote educated heath decisions.

If you attended ASAP’s first event this year–a really interesting discussion with science communication educator and former Congressional Chief of Staff Mark Bayer–Mark talked a lot about how to leverage your position as a scientist to combat misinformation. You can put this into practice for a good cause by volunteering with VaCS! No specific vaccine or immunology background is necessary; we provide robust training and materials on vaccine and COVID-19 science, combatting misinformation, and science communication.

Grad Student & Staff Orientation Meeting

Weill Hall Room 226 on Sept. 19 @ 6pm

Learn more about VaCS and how you can get involved. For more info, register on CampusGroups here, or visit the VaCS website. Hope to see you there!

Kara Rode Webber, VaCS Co-Director

What does VaCS do?

VaCS is a collaboration between several county departments of health and Cornell Advancing Science and Policy, with funding support from the Provost’s Office. Our goal is to engage the community and answer questions about vaccine safety and COVID-19. We reach people through phone-banking (remote/hybrid) and tabling/canvassing (in-person).

Who can join?

Scientists of any level are welcome: grad students, postdocs, advanced undergraduates, laboratory staff, and faculty! Scientists at the Ithaca Campus and at Weill Cornell are all invited to join.

What is the time commitment?

It’s up to you! We expect that you will attend at least 1 event per month, however your commitment is flexible. You can also get more involved by joining VaCS leadership to help with behind-the-scenes work, such as organizing events and managing the data.

What are some types of outreach opportunities?

• tabling at community events
• phone-banking (virtual–held twice a week)
• door-to-door canvassing
• information sessions

What has VaCS accomplished so far?

We have made over 10,000 phone calls, have a network of over 100 Cornell scientists, and hosted numerous tabling and canvassing events jointly with the Tompkins County Health Department, Cayuga Medical Center, and health departments from surrounding counties.

While it might seem like an impossible task, 29% of our conversations with unvaccinated people have actually increased the self-reported likelihood of vaccination!

You do NOT need to be an expert in COVID-19! We will provide training to prepare you on the science, as well as communication strategies to deal with controversial topics.