The state of Texas is spending some cash, to get you vaccinated
It's not about the cost of the shots, they're free. It is about motivating Texans to get them.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has launched a $1.5 million ad campaign. The ads focuses on different groups, like seniors.
In one, a woman says "the vaccine is going to get me to be able to see my grandchildren"
In ads targeting younger people, you'll hear and see younger people say things like "I felt a sense of relief and a triumph by getting the vaccine. I felt as if I was contributing to the stop of covid."
And the ads target minorities like African Americans. In one spot, Houston physician Ferris Blount says "As African Americans, I understand there have been some issues here as it relates to medical care, historically. We all are in this pandemic regardless of race. This is not a black thing or a white thing, it's a human thing."
The ads are also in Spanish.
In a statement, DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt says "Our research shows that individual health care professionals are the most trusted voices for people deciding whether to get vaccinated. Over the coming weeks we will continue to share messages encouraging various communities to get vaccinated. We are also relying on trusted voices within those communities to speak up and let their neighbors know that the available COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to end the pandemic and restore normalcy."
Later this week, DSHS will have the first of 22 parking lot pop-up events around Texas. These 4-hour events, hosted in Walmart parking lots through mid-May, will feature a 16-foot video wall with facts about COVID-19 vaccines.
The first three events will be Thursday in Austin, Friday in Houston, and Saturday in Beaumont.