Multi-Million Dollar Statewide "Let's Get to ImmUnity" Campaign Will Reach API Audiences in at Least 10 Languages
Campaign Will Address Questions, Concerns With COVID-19 Vaccinations
SACRAMENTO ā Ahead of expanded eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine in April, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is rolling out tailored, in-language outreach for Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) communities across the state. This "Let's Get to ImmUnity" public education campaign is part of the state's Vaccinate ALL 58 effort.
"Along with opening eligibility to more groups, we're expecting supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine to increase significantly in the coming weeks. And, to prepare for that availability, we need to empower all communities with the knowledge they need to be ready for their vaccination," said TomĆ”s AragĆ³n, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. "Our goal is to open a dialogue with API Californians to understand the specific questions and concerns they might have about the COVID-19 vaccine and giving them the answers and information they need to say yes to immunity."
The "Let's Get to ImmUnity" campaign launched statewide in early March as part of a broader $40 million effort to offer answers and reassurance that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and our greatest tool to end the pandemic. The campaign aims to help move all of our lives forward again with radio, print, TV and billboard advertisements that reach all Californians, with a focus on multicultural and multilingual media outlets. The API-specific advertisements will encompass a total of 10 languages/dialects: Cantonese, Hindi, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Mandarin, Punjabi, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
"The API community in California and throughout the country has experienced both unique hardships and disproportionate impacts in some of our communities during this pandemic," said California State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan. "CDPH's campaign to ensure every resident over age 16 is confident about being vaccinated against COVID-19 is not a one-size fits all approach. The diversity of our public education campaign mirrors the diversity of our state."
"Let's Get to ImmUnity" radio ads have been running in multiple languages since the second week of March. The first API TV ads launched March 29 in four markets: Los Angeles, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Sacramento, and San Diego. Additional TV ads will start April 1 with a question and answer format that addresses the major concerns specific to this community. The ads also encourage Californians to stay informed on vaccine availability by signing up for My Turn notifications at myturn.ca.gov or by phone at (833) 422-4255.
To ensure CDPH is reaching hardest hit communities, the "Let's Get to ImmUnity" campaign is placing additional focus on geographic areas in the bottom quarter of the Healthy Places Index (HPI), mirroring the state's recent announcement to increase vaccine supply in these communities. The public education campaign is an important part in the state's five-part plan for equitable vaccine administration. Other parts of the plan include:
- Increasing the state's vaccines supply allocated to the lowest 25 percent of ZIP codes based on the Public Health Alliance of Southern California's HPI, and reserving appointments for priority populations through My Turn.
- Creating a Statewide Vaccine Network with a Third Party Administrator (TPA) to include appropriate access in disproportionately impacted communities and supplements this access with evening/extended hours, transportation services, translation services, home-bound services, mobile vaccine services, and physical accessibility features at vaccination events, for example.
- Leveraging the work Community Based Organizations (CBOs) have been doing to provide critical services and information to Californians during the pandemic.
- Establishing the My Turn vaccine appointment and eligibility notification platform as a cornerstone of the state's vaccine data analytics efforts to understand the demographics of vaccine recipients.