Mayo Clinic helping lead nationwide campaign to encourage vaccination

Two of the nation’s most respected names in health care are leading a campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

The “Get the Vaccine to Save Lives” campaign, led by Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, is designed to “reassure the public that vaccines are safe, effective and necessary to achieve herd immunity and return to normal activities,” according to an announcement made Tuesday.

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

"We're asking people to talk to their health care providers if they have questions and then get vaccinated," said Dr. Gianrico Farrugia, president and CEO of Mayo Clinic, in a prepared statement. "The vaccine is our strongest asset to end the pandemic, and I urge everyone who is eligible to get whichever vaccine you’re first offered to save lives."

With half of American adults now having received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, health officials are beginning to turn their attention to those who remain hesitant to receive a vaccine, including racial and minority ethnic groups and people living in rural communities.

Tuesday’s announcement cites a Kaiser Family Foundation survey published on March 30 showing that 17 percent of the public say they will take a “wait-and-see approach” before getting a vaccine. Another 13 percent say they will “definitely not” get a shot, while seven percent say they will only get inoculated if required to do so for work, school or other activities.

"The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and highly effective and offers our best hope for beating the disease," said Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, president and CEO of Cleveland Clinic. "We all want to see a return to our pre-COVID routines, when we can once again gather safely with family and friends. To reach that goal, we must improve vaccination rates to achieve herd immunity. Please sign up today because we are all in this together."

A total of 60 health care institutions have signed on to join the campaign. Media partners include the Washington Post, USA Today and iHeartMedia.

Cover graphic: “Get the Vaccine to Save Lives” campaign / Mayo News Network