Contributed by Alabama Hospital Association
According to a recent survey conducted by the Alabama Hospital Association, 94% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients were not vaccinated. With vaccinations proving to be the best weapon against the virus, and Alabama being the second worst state in terms of its vaccination rate, leading healthcare organizations are joining together to launch a grassroots campaign, “We Can Do This Alabama,” to encourage greater participation.
The Alabama Department of Public Health, the Alabama Hospital Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, the Alabama Nursing Home Association, the Alabama Primary Health Care Association, the Alabama Chapter-AAP, the Alabama Council for Behavioral Healthcare, the Alabama State Nurses Association and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama are asking vaccinated Alabamians to help champion this effort by encouraging others to get vaccinated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the vaccines are effective at preventing nearly 100% of hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19. This is a pivotal moment in ending the pandemic – getting Alabamians vaccinated as quickly as possible is the path out of this crisis.
“We Can Do This Alabama” is part of the Human Health Services (HHS) COVID-19 public education campaign – a national initiative to increase public confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines while reinforcing basic prevention measures.
The grassroots effort is asking Alabamians to become local champions and share information with their family, friends, colleagues and community on the importance of getting vaccinated. Here’s how:
1. Go to wecandothisalabama.com to sign up to be a local champion and access helpful messaging resources.
2. For four weeks, encourage three new people a week to get the vaccine.
3. Recruit five additional people to sign up and do the same.
Getting vaccinated is the best way to help end the pandemic in our state and nationwide. Along with getting the vaccine, practice social distancing and wash hands frequently.
Through a statewide network of trusted messengers and consistent, fact-based public health messaging, this campaign will help Alabamians make informed decisions about their health and COVID-19, including steps to protect themselves and their communities.
To help take action and for more information go to wecandothisalabama.com.