Brooks Rehabilitation Joins Nationwide Campaign with Other Leading US Hospitals to Promote COVID-19 Vaccination

April 26, 2021 — Brooks Rehabilitation is 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 COVID-19. Led by Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, the campaign “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.

“We must continue to stand united in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Doug Baer, President & CEO, Brooks Rehabilitation. “We encourage everyone to get vaccinated as it is the best way for us all to stay safe.”

There is hope and progress as scientists across the globe are collaborating and innovating to bring us tests, treatments and vaccines to collectively save lives and end the pandemic. Vaccination is a critical tool in the battle against COVID-19.

The campaign hopes 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% of the public say they will take a wait-and-see approach before getting it themselves, and another 20% say they will never get a vaccine or will only get it if required to do so for work, school or other activities. This leaves a significant portion of the population at risk of going unvaccinated.
The nationwide campaign includes print and digital advertising, media outreach, social media, an awareness video and an informational website.

With vaccine distribution underway, the campaign aims to help Americans feel safe and confident about receiving a vaccine. To achieve herd immunity and help end the pandemic, leading health officials say at least 75% 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.

“Promoting COVID-19 vaccination is one of the most important initiatives health care providers can participate in to turn the tide on this pandemic and get our country and world back to living life to the fullest,” said Trevor Paris, MD, FAAPMR, Brooks Rehabilitation System Chief Medical Officer.

More than 228 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and 53% of the population age 18 and over has received at least one vaccine dose in the U.S. through April 25, 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 their services. The New York Times, The Washington Post, Spectrum Reach and USA Today also provided complimentary resources.

For more information about the campaign, visit ourshot2savelives.org.