WASHINGTON – While the Biden government is trying to streamline the federal government’s response to the pandemic, it is also preparing for a comprehensive campaign that encourages Americans to get the coronavirus vaccine when it becomes available to them, according to government officials.
This effort for now, however, is strictly directed at Americans who are eligible to receive the vaccine – particularly among communities where people may be skeptical about getting the vaccines – while the government struggles with supply problems, officials said. .
“The last thing we want to do is say ‘get out and give it a try’ if there is no supply,” explained a government official.
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The targeted campaigns that have already started in the early weeks of the Biden government are largely focused on minorities, and there have been some efforts to deal with the vaccine’s hesitation in rural communities and among military families, according to officials.
Several new efforts to reduce vaccine hesitation that the Biden administration initiated are aimed at black Americans, 43 percent of whom say they want to “wait and see” how the vaccine works for others before getting it themselves. according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
For a new effort, the Centers for Disease Control is working with NFL Alumni Health, including legendary players Warren Moon and Franco Harris, to encourage African Americans to get the vaccine.
The CDC is also funding efforts for groups such as the National Urban League and the Conference of National Black Churches to build confidence in the vaccine. And there is a new social media campaign – #VaccineReady – during Black History Month to reduce vaccine hesitation, facilitated by the Minority Health Office in the Department of Health and Human Services.
On Monday, Morehouse School of Medicine, in partnership with HHS, plans to launch the National Covid-19 Resiliency Network that includes a digital component that helps people find locations for coronavirus and vaccine tests using their postal codes.
At the same time, the government is trying to reduce skepticism about the vaccine in other communities, including military families. On Thursday, First Lady Jill Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Chairman of the Board of Chiefs, Mark Milley, attended a virtual forum with Blue Star Families to encourage the military and their families to get the vaccine. “When your turn comes, please get vaccinated,” Fauci told the forum.
Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet said the group found in a recent survey that more than half of respondents “were not comfortable at the moment with the vaccine and many remain undecided.”
“Her concerns range from distrust in the vaccine development process to its safety, overall effectiveness and potential for unknown side effects,” she said during the virtual event.
Similar concerns are encountered in rural communities. The Kaiser Family Foundation study found that residents in rural America are much more likely to say they “definitely won’t” get the vaccine than those in urban areas, by a difference of 21% to 8%.
In addition to some of the targeted vaccine confidence efforts, many of the messages from the Biden administration are familiar – wear a mask, socially detached.
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For a broader campaign when the vaccine supply increases, government officials are looking for ways in which companies can help, exploring ideas like giving employees a day off to get the vaccine. They are also discussing how to reach a variety of audiences, possibly through NFL sports organizations to NASCAR and a variety of celebrities to local doctors and pastors in communities across the country.
“Certainly, part of our commitment is to launch a massive public relations campaign,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday. “It takes a little time to put all your ducks in a row and make it work, but part of what we’re also trying to do is use our experts to be there publicly.”
The government faces significant challenges in reaching its collective immunity goal by the summer, as evidenced by a Monmouth survey released on Wednesday.
More Americans are expressing concern about the impact of the coronavirus than at any time during the pandemic, the study concluded. Still, one in four respondents said they would avoid getting the vaccine if they can.
Heidi Przybyla and Kristen Welker contributed.