Ads aim to help build trust in virus shots

NEW YORK — A public service ad campaign unveiled Thursday aims to persuade Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19, telling them “It’s Up to You.”

The campaign by the Ad Council and its partners is focused on those who may be hesitant to get the shots. One print ad reads: “Getting back to hugs starts with getting informed,” and directs readers to a website with information about vaccines in seven languages.

“Our goal is to move them from being hesitant to being confident” in vaccines, said Lisa Sherman, the Ad Council’s president.

As many as 1 in 3 Americans say they definitely or probably won’t get the COVID19 vaccine, according to a recent poll from Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Some scientists estimate that more than 2 in 3 Americans will need to get vaccinated to stop the epidemic that has killed more than 500,000 people in the U.S.

The large, national campaign is producing an array of English and Spanish ads for TV, billboards, bus shelters, social media and publications that will be rolled out over the next few months. A few of the ads are expected to feature celebrities like actors Angela Bassett and John Leguizamo, CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta and the government’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The effort includes materials specifically for church leaders, doctors, pharmacists and others in Black and Hispanic communities

The new campaign was funded by $52 million in donations supplemented with donated labor and resources, said Sherman. The advertising industry-backed group calls it one of the largest public education efforts in U.S. history.