New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Ad campaign aims to boost COVID vaccination rates
NEW HAVEN — City officials will launch a new series of ads aimed at persuading more people in the city to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The ads, which are aimed at increasing vaccination rates among youth and communities of color, are to feature Dr. Tamiko JacksonMcArthur, a local pediatrician and school board member, student-athletes from New Haven Public Schools, youths and “local influencers” and will appear in print and on billboards, buses, radio, television and social media, according to city officials.
“Vaccinations are the best tool we have to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the serious illness, hospitalizations, and even death associated with the virus,” Mayor Justin Elicker said in a statement.
As of Sept. 1, 59.53 percent of city residents of all ages had received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to state data.
At least four New Haven Public Schools students have been confirmed with cases of COVID-19 since the school year started Monday and multiple students at six schools already are quarantining, school officials noted Thursday.
The district has promoted vaccines among staff and students ages 12 and up, holding at least 100 clinics and multiple ways for students and staff to get the shot.
As of Sept. 2, the city Covid positivity rate was 21 cases per 100,000 people, an increase from the previous rate of 19.4 per 100,000, according to state data. That most current rate was for the period Aug. 15-28, according to the state data.
As city officials announced Wednesday that health inspectors will be cracking down on the city mask mandate, Health Director Maritza Bond said New Haven recently saw two additional deaths as a result of COVID-19, bringing the total number of pandemic-related deaths in New Haven to 211.
For the ad campaign, the collaborative work of the New Haven Public Schools and Athletic Director Erik Patchkofsky “using a peer-to-peer youth messaging campaign” is intended to encourage vaccinations and safe practices, according to Bond.
Bond said the infections “are largely preventable” by being vaccinated and continuing to practice established COVID-19 guidelines; masking, hand washing and social distancing. “Getting a shot is easy, free, and safe and will allow young people to return to class safely, play sports, hang with friends, and not worry about infecting their loved ones with the virus.”
Jackson McArthur said, also in the statement, that there are “a lot of underlying illnesses in the BIPOC communities — high blood pressure, Asthma, diabetes, COPD, Sickle Cell Disease — and we have multiple generations under one roof.”
“We must rely on science and be educated about our decision to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We hope this campaign helps to provide the information our BIPOC communities need when making the decisions to get vaccinated,” she said in the statement.
Jackson McArthur also noted those with questions about getting vaccinated have have access to public health experts “who are available to answer their questions at any time.”
The photos and video for the campaign were shot by local photographer Leigh Busby and videographer Donnell Durden, officials said.
According to Patchkofsky, the young people were excited to be featured.
The awareness campaign is possible through a $13 million federal grant to Connecticut, which state officials distributed to 27 communities in an effort to “promote and increase vaccine equity in underserved communities, including communities of color, vulnerable populations, those with limited English proficiency, and those living on the margins of our economy to ensure that all have equal access to COVID-19 vaccinations,” officials said in the statement.
According to city spokesman Kyle Buda, the city received $988,000 from the Vaccine Equity Partnership. The media buy for the ad campaign is $140,000.
Partners in the effort in New Haven include URU,
The Right to Be Inc.; Community Action Agency of New Haven; Junta for Progressive Action; Fair Haven Community Health Center; Cornell Scott-Hill Heath Center; Community Health Van; Coursey & Co.; and American Medical Response.
More information about the city’s coronavirus-related work, including vaccination clinics and testing sites, can be found at https://covid19 .newhavenct.gov.
Among precautions taken in city schools, face coverings are required for all in school buildings and on school buses, with scheduled mask breaks.
About 70 percent of the school district’s work force is vaccinated, based on selfreported data, according to officials.
By Sept. 27, according to a new state requirement, all staff must all be vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19.