New Campaign Launches To Increase Confidence In COVID-19 Vaccine Among Maryland's Black, Latinx Communities
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Maryland is launching a new outreach campaign to increase the public's confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine, especially among people of color, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Friday morning.
Hogan announced details of the GoVAX campaign during a news conference at Camden Yards. It will be made up of numerous community leaders as well as medical experts and others and will be headed by Brig. Gen. Janeen Birckhead of the Maryland National Guard.
One of the main efforts is to address vaccine hesitancy among communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by the virus.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said the campaign will also help to clear up misinformation and misconceptions about the vaccine.
"We know that here in Baltimore and across the state and across the country, there has been hesitance in our Black and Brown communities," he said. "We must operate through a lens of understanding that that hesitance is actually based in truth, in fact, on things that happened in the past, and through credible messages through things like GoVAX is how we got to work with our communities to make sure that folks are doing the right thing, and that's getting vaccinated."
Leaders also stressed getting the vaccine, like wearing a mask, is not only to protect individuals but also those around them.
"Over the next several months, we will be taking this campaign to every corner of every community: TV, radio, billboards, social media, Zoom, whatever it takes to promote the safety and efficacy of these COVID-19 vaccines and to make sure that Marylanders know that getting vaccinated is the best way to keep you, your family and your community healthy and safe and to save the lives of thousands of Marylanders," Hogan said.
Watch the full news conference below:
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
