Global Business Coalition Launched to Advocate Workforce Use of New COVID-19 Vaccines, Pending Availability

NEW YORK, July 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States Council for International Business (USCIB),  The USCIB Foundation, and Business Partners for Sustainable Development (BPSD) have launched Business Partners to CONVINCE, a global communication and education initiative to promote COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among private sector employers and employees.

The new partnership will play an integral role in a broader multi-sector CONVINCE (COVID-19 New Vaccine Information, Communication, and Education) campaign to advance vaccine literacy and help ensure a strong and swift recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through widespread acceptance of safe, effective and accessible vaccines. The CONVINCE business coalition will leverage USCIB's extensive global network of leading international business organizations and multinational corporations to promote vaccine literacy and uptake with large employers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) worldwide.

The global CONVINCE effort was developed with Wilton Park, a global forum affiliated with the UK government, the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and the Vaccine Confidence Project™ of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Earlier this year, USCIB joined Wilton Park in their dialogues on the vaccine literacy for COVID-19.

USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson stated, "We were pleased to contribute extensively to the Wilton Park dialogues and to highlight the potential role for employers as 'Trusted Influencers' as part of the CONVINCE initiative. As U.S. affiliate of the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Organization of Employers, and Business at OECD – three of the world's largest and most representative business organizations – we expect to engage an extensive network to help corporate employers, SMEs and governments meet the intense global and local challenge of health and vaccine promotion. Together, we can mount an unprecedented response to the pandemic." 

Prof. Heidi Larson, The Vaccine Confidence Project Director at LSHTM and author of Stuck, a definitive overview of global vaccine hesitancy, stated: "We need to start now to listen and engage local communities to build resilience against COVID-19 and recover as societies, schools and economies build a new future. We are thrilled to be part of this important initiative to build public confidence through CONVINCE."

Nancy Lee, Programme Director at Wilton Park, said, "We are very pleased that the private sector has taken part in our multisector dialogues and has now made this important commitment to promote COVID-19 recovery by supporting global business efforts to build vaccine literacy and support for the potentially game-changing impact of a COVID-19 vaccine."

Dr. Scott Ratzan, executive director of BPSD and Distinguished Lecturer at CUNY, said "Many people say the only way we can achieve a 'next normal' world is with a vaccine, but it will take collective action to make this happen. We are pleased to work across sectors with business leaders, employees and customers on the innovative communication programs that are needed urgently to build the foundation of trust that can lead us towards vaccine-protected communities."   

Full release available at www.uscib.org.

SOURCE United States Council for International Business; The USCIB Foundation; BPSD

Related Links

www.uscib.org