MedStar Health Joins Leading U.S. Hospitals and Health Systems in National Campaign to Promote COVID-19 Vaccination

Columbia, MD - MedStar 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. The campaign "Get the Vaccine to Save Lives," is designed to reassure the public that vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary to achieve herd immunity and a return to normal activities.

“Getting a COVID-19 vaccine and continuing to practice public health measures like wearing masks, hand hygiene, and physical distancing are key to slowing and stopping this pandemic,” said Terry Fairbanks, MD, FACEP, vice president, Quality & Safety for MedStar Health. “We understand that although the vast majority of Americans desire a vaccine, there are some who have concerns. We respect this and we care, so we want patients to have all the facts so they can make a confident personal decision about getting the COVID-19 vaccine.”

The campaign hopes to reach adults who have concerns about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, including underserved racial and minority ethnic groups and people living in rural communities. 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 it themselves, and another 20% say they will never get a vaccine or will only get it if required to do so for work, school, or other activities. This leaves a significant portion of the population at risk of going unvaccinated. 

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

With vaccine distribution underway, the campaign aims to help Americans feel safe and confident about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. To achieve herd immunity and help end the pandemic, leading health officials say at least 75% of the population needs to be vaccinated. Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of illness from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who have been vaccinated.

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, 2021 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine data tracker. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the Food and Drug Administration’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization.

For more information about the campaign, visit ourshot2savelives.org