The Biden administration on Thursday morning announced a new ad campaign aimed at encouraging Americans to get vaccinated against coronavirus that includes participation from hundreds of organizations and “local voices people know and trust” to help boost confidence around vaccination.
The push comes amid ongoing skepticism about the vaccine particularly among Republicans, Black and Latino people, and White evangelicals. Administration officials have warned that supply could eventually outpace demand if wide swaths of the population remain opposed to vaccination.
NASCAR, the Catholic Health Association of the United States and the North American Meat Institute are just a few of the 275 organizations coming together as part of a “Community Corps” that will target communities where hesitancy about getting a COVID-19 shot remains high. Among the group are a number of religious organizations, including Catholic and evangelical groups that are expected to help address religious concerns about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which uses abortion-derived fetal cell lines.
“The Community Corps will be comprised of trusted voices in communities across the country,” the Health and Human Services Department said in a news release announcing the campaign.
Vice President Kamala Harris and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy are expected to meet with founding members of the corps on Thursday.
The campaign, with ads in English and Spanish, will air throughout April on network TV and cable channels nationwide, as well as online.
The campaign launch follows President Joe Biden’s announcement of a new goal last week to administer 200 million vaccine doses by his 100th day in office. The new goal doubles his initial pledge to achieve 100 million shots in arms within his first 100 days which was surpassed last month.
