ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - After a recent survey found that 46 percent of construction workers say they're not likely to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, local construction companies are rolling out an online campaign to convince them to get the shot.
It includes 26 videos, including one featuring Mark Bielicke of Laborers Local 110, who describes the death of his girlfriend from COVID last. "It took my 51-year-old girlfriend on Thanksgiving Day, last year, 2020," he says. "I also, myself was in the hospital and in grave danger of dying."
Construction Forum Co-Founder Tom Finan tells KMOX that in addition to real stories, vaxfactsSTL.com provides real facts about the vaccine. "We're trying to stay above the politics of this,' he says, "and say 'look, there's good science here and you need to think of your colleagues and you need to think of your family.'"
Finan says construction workers tend to want to tough things out, but they shouldn't try that with COVID-19. "It's a deeply personal decision, so we want you to make that decision with the best possible information and we want you to think of the consequences of not getting vaccinated."
Finan says the construction industry, which was struggling with a labor shortage before the pandemic, could see a further erosion of its skilled workforce if COVID-19 can't be contained.
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