UH joins nationwide vaccine campaign

Effort to reassure public shots are ‘safe, effective way to achieve herd immunity’

University Hospitals officials this week announced the system collaborating with a coalition of 60 of America’s top hospitals and health care institutions on a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated for the novel coronavirus.

Led by the Cleveland Clinic and the Mayo Clinic, the campaign, dubbed “Get the Vaccine to Save Lives,” is designed “to reassure the public that vaccines are safe, effective and necessary to achieve herd immunity” and a return to normal activities.

“From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, University Hospitals has made patient health and safety a priority,” said Dr. Cliff A. Megerian, CEO of UH. “We have collaborated with other health systems for the betterment of our communities, which includes doing what we can to inform and inspire individuals to take the necessary steps to prevent their illness.

“As health care professionals, we rely on science and evidence-based practices to drive our actions, so naturally that means we want to help our neighbors understand the importance of getting vaccinated and how that will help protect them against COVID-19.”

The campaign aims to reach adults who are hesitant to receive a vaccine, including racial and minority ethnic groups and people living in rural communities.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey published March 30, 17 percent of the public say they will take a “wait-andsee” approach before getting the vaccine themselves. Another 20 percent say they will never get a vaccine or will only get it if required to do so for work, school or other activities, leaving a significant portion of the population at risk of going unvaccinated.

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

With vaccine distribution underway, the campaign also serves to help Americans feel confident about receiving a vaccine. To achieve herd immunity and help end the pandemic, health officials say at least 75 percent of the population needs to receive a vaccine.

Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who have been vaccinated.

“UH’s vaccine distribution process, from scheduling to vaccination, has proven successful and efficient,” Megerian said. “To date, we have administered more than 100,000 doses to UH caregivers and the general public, a figure that continues to rise each day. But we need to do more to ensure Northeast Ohio and beyond reaches herd immunity, which is why UH has joined this important campaign.”

More than 195 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and 48 percent of the population age 18 and over has received at least one dose in the United States through April 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the Food and Drug Administration’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization.

Ethos Creative Group of Burlington, North Carolina, created the campaign and donated its services. “The New York Times, “The Washington Post,” Spectrum Reach and “USA Today” also provided complimentary resources, UH confirmed.