Essentia Health joins other hospitals to promote COVID-19 vaccination

Essentia Health is collaborating with a coalition of 60 of America’s top hospitals and health care institutions on a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

Led by Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, the campaign “Get the Vaccine to Save Lives” is designed to reassure the public vaccines are safe, effective and necessary to achieve herd immunity and a return to normal activities.

“Our participation in this national campaign for COVID-19 vaccinations aligns well with our mission to make a healthy difference in people’s lives,” said Dr. Peter Henry, Essentia Health’s chief medical officer said in a news release.

The campaign hopes to reach adults who are hesitant to receive a vaccine, including racial and minority ethnic groups and people living in rural communities.

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“Prevention of COVID-19 hospitalizations through vaccination will save lives and help us serve others with chronic conditions and illnesses besides COVID,” Henry stated.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey published March 30, 17% of the public say they will take a wait-and-see approach before getting vaccinated themselves, and 20% say they will never get a vaccine or will only get it if required to do so for work, school or other activities.

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To achieve herd immunity and help end the coronavirus pandemic, leading health officials say at least 75% of the population needs to receive a vaccine.

“We are all ambassadors for our organization and, as health care workers — whether clinical or not — we are looked upon by our community as examples of the right thing to do,” Henry said.

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Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who have been vaccinated.

“We are obligated to do all we can to dispel myths about the vaccine and encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19,” Henry stated in the news release.

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The nationwide vaccination campaign includes print and digital advertising, media outreach, social media, an awareness video and an informational website.

More than 195 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and 48% of the population age 18 and over has received at least one vaccine dose in the U.S. through April 14, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization.

Visit www.ourshot2savelives.org for more information about the vaccination campaign.