Hoping to overcome the issue of hesitancy among some people in the Southland and beyond to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the state announced this week a multimillion-dollar publicity campaign designed to address questions and concerns about the vaccine.
The “Let’s Get to ImmUnity” campaign will be a sweeping effort involving paid digital advertisements, social media outreach and an “influencer” campaign on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube featuring doctors, nurses and other health professionals preaching the safety of the vaccines.
Influencers outside the health field will also be employed to target communities with high levels of vaccine resistance.
“With the launch of this campaign, we are underscoring our commitment to equity and reminding Californians that the best vaccine is the first one available when it’s your turn,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “They’re safe. They’re lifesaving. And they’ll help us collectively defeat this virus.”
The campaign is part of a broader $40 million state effort to encourage people to be vaccinated.
Radio ads associated with the campaign have already hit the airwaves, with the first television ads set to run beginning Monday in English and Spanish.
Other outreach will be done in languages such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, Russian and Japanese. The state’s VaccinateALL58.com website will also be revamped and made available in at least eight languages.
“The quicker we get to immunity, the quicker we will put this pandemic in the rear-view mirror so we can enjoy more everyday activities without the concerns we’ve experienced in the past year,” said Tomas Aragon, California Department of Public Health director and state public health officer.
“This campaign reinforces the confidence medical and public health experts have in the three highly effective COVID-19 vaccines that are now available for Californians and helps map our path forward so we can all get back to seeing our family and friends, go to school and work and participate in sports.”
