U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Launches Nationwide Network of Trusted Voices to Encourage Vaccination in Next Phase of COVID-19 Public Education Campaign

HHS Also Launches First TV Ads Encouraging Vaccinations, and Social Media Profile Frames for Americans to Share Support of Vaccines with the Message “We Can Do This”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced April 1 additional measures to encourage vaccinations and increase vaccine confidence as part of the next phase of its COVID-19 public education campaign. The administration is launching the COVID-19 Community Corps – a nationwide, grassroots network of local voices people know and trust to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. As part of the launch of the Community Corps, Vice President Kamala Harris and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy met with founding members on April 1 as she began championing the next phase of the public education campaign from the White House.

The Community Corps will be comprised of trusted voices in communities across the country, and the administration will regularly share updated public health information and resources for them to use with their communities to help get friends, family, and followers vaccinated.

As part of this community-driven strategy, HHS is also unveiling new social media profile frames so Americans can display their choice to get vaccinated and encourage their friends and family to do the same, increasing confidence and uptake as vaccines become more available. And on April 1, the first TV ads, including in Spanish, started running nationwide to encourage Americans to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. Importantly, the ads emphasize a message – We Can Do This – that is a hopeful and unifying call to action that we each can do our part to end this pandemic by getting vaccinated.

These efforts follow last week’s announcement of nearly $10 billion to increase vaccine access and confidence in hard-hit vulnerable communities, including $3 billion of CDC funding to support outreach efforts in the states through community-based organizations and trusted community leaders. HHS also announced $250 million in minority health grants to increase vaccine uptake in minority communities, and CDC has provided $255 million in awards to community and civic groups for vaccine outreach.

HHS’s public education efforts are being co-chaired by Drs. Murthy, Francis Collins, Anthony Fauci, Marcella Nunez-Smith, and Rochelle Walensky, with Vice President Harris championing the next phase of the effort from the White House.

The April 1 announcement included:

Launching the COVID-19 Community Corps: HHS is launching a nationwide, grassroots network of local voices and trusted community leaders to encourage vaccinations, with more than 275 founding member organizations that have the ability to reach millions of Americans. This effort will mobilize health professionals, scientists, community organizations, faith leaders, businesses, rural stakeholders, civil rights organizations, sports leagues and athletes, and Americans from all walks of life to become leaders within their own communities to help get friends, family, and neighbors vaccinated. A full list of founding members can be found at the end of this fact sheet.

The program will provide resources and fact-based public health information through HHS in partnership with CDC.

Research shows that, when making the decision to get vaccinated, people want to hear from people they trust, such as medical professionals, their own family and friends, and leaders in their community. The Community Corps was created to provide those trusted messengers with consistent and accurate information about COVID-19 to empower as many Americans as possible to become messengers to share the importance of vaccination in their community. Anyone can become a Community Corps member, and members will receive weekly updates on the latest scientific and medical updates, talking points about the vaccine, social media suggestions, infographics, factsheets with timely, accurate information, and tools to help people get registered for an appointment and vaccinated. To become a member, the public can sign up at www.hhs.gov/covidcommunitycorps.

Launching Social Media Profile Frames to Build Grassroots Momentum for Vaccinations: As part of this community-oriented focus on cultivating a nationwide network of trusted voices, HHS and CDC are launching new social frames on Facebook to empower Americans across the country to share with their friends, family, and followers that they plan to get vaccinated. Giving individuals and pages the opportunity to use their profile picture to share their support for COVID-19 vaccination—and seeing others they trust in a friend group doing the same—will help increase confidence in the vaccine as it becomes more widely available. As part of this effort, Facebook will promote the frames in News Feed and encourage influencers to utilize them.

Airing TV Ads to Encourage Vaccinations Among Key Eligible Groups: HHS is beginning to air both English and Spanish language TV ads across the country to encourage vaccination among key groups currently eligible to receive vaccinations, including Americans age 65 and older. In addition to general market broadcast and cable advertising, HHS has also made multi-million dollar ad buys in Black and Spanish-language media, as well as in outlets that reach AAPI and Tribal populations, to add an additional layer of outreach and messaging to hard-hit communities. The ads begin airing today, will run throughout the month of April, and will also run on digital outlets.

The TV ads are below:

WATCH: “It’s Time”

WATCH: “Power”

WATCH: “Un Rayo de Esperanza”

WATCH: “Protecting Our Lives”

Full List of COVID-19 Community Corps Founding Members:

Public Health & Medical Organizations

• Advancing Health Equity
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Association of Pediatrics
• American Academy of Family Physicians
• American College of Physicians
• American Lung Association
• American Medical Association
• American Medical Student Association
• American Medical Women Association
• American Nurses Association
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• American Public Health Association
• Chicagoland Vaccine Corps Partnership
• COVID Collaborative
• Infectious Disease Society Association
• Mobile Healthcare Association
• National Association of Community Health Centers
• National Council of Urban Indian Health
• Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
• Nurses for Biden Harris
• Planned Parenthood
• Protect Our Care
• Vaccinate Your Family
• #ThisIsOurShot

Sports & Entertainment

• MLB
• MLS
• National Association of Broadcasters
• NASCAR
• NFL
• Anthony Becht*
• Chester Pitts*
• Orlando Pace*
• PGA Tour
• WWE
• Ana Navaro*
• George Lopez*

Rural Leaders

• American Farm Bureau
• American Farm Bureau Federation
• American Indian Higher Education Consortium
• American Red Cross
• Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
• California Fresh Fruit Association
• Center for Rural Strategies
• Farm Bureau
• Farm Credit Council
• National 4-H Council
• National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
• National Association of Wheat Growers
• National Corn Growers Association
• National Farmers Union
• National Milk Producers Federation
• National Rural Education Association
• National Rural Health
• National Rural Health Association
• North American Meat Institute
• North American Meat Institute
• NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association
• Rebuild Rural Coalition
• Rural Coalition
• The National Grange
• United Farm Workers Foundation

Union & Organized Labor Leaders

• Actor's Equity
• AFL-CIO
• AFSCME
• AFT
• Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen
• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters
• International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers
• International Longshoreman's Association 
• International Organizations of Masters, Mates & Pilots
• International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
• Iron Workers
• IUPAT
• National Association of Manufacturers
• National Education Association
• RWDSU
• SEIU
• Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
• Transport Workers Union
• UFCW
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters
• United Farm Workers
• United Steel Workers

Latinx Leaders

• Ciencia Puerto Rico
• Hispanic Federation
• Hispanic Heritage Foundation
• Hispanic National Bar Association
• Latino Victory
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
• Mi Familia Vota
• NALEO
• National Hispanic Medical Association
• Poder Latinx
• Poderistas
• U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• UNIDOS
• Voto Latino

Black Leaders

• Benedict College
• Bennett College
• Black Coalition Against COVID
• Black Women's Roundtable
• Cheyney University (PA)
• Delaware State University
• The Links Incorporated
• Morgan State University
• NAACP
• National Action Network
• National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
• National Council of Negro Women
• National Urban League
• Prairie View A&M University
• Stillman College
• Texas Southern University
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund
• Tougaloo College
• United Negro College Fund
• University of the Virgin Islands
• Wiley College

AAPI Leaders

• AAJC
• AAPCHO
• APAICS
• APALA
• APIAHF
• APIAVote
• EPIC
• Esther Choo
• Hudson Yang
• IMPACT  
• Michelle Kwan
• NAPABA
• NCAPA
• NCAPIP
• SEARAC

Native/Tribal Leaders

• Alaska Federation of Natives
• Center for Native American Youth
• Illuminatives
• Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes
• National Council of Urban Indian Health
• National Indian Health Board
• Native Peoples Action
• United South and Eastern Tribes (USET)
• UNITY

Veterans

• American Legion
• AMVETS
• Blinded Veterans of America
• Blue Star Families
• Disabled American Veterans
• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association
• Modern Military Association of America
• Student Veterans of America
• Team Rubicon
• The Mission Continues
• VetsFirst, United Spinal Association
• Vietnam Veterans of America
• Womens Veterans Interactive
• Wounded Warrior Project

Business Leaders

• Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber (ACE)
• Black Economic Alliance
• Business Roundtable
• Minority Business RoundTable
• National Association of Manufacturers
• Public Private Strategies
• US Black Chambers
• US Chamber
• US Hispanic Chambers
• US Women's Chambers

Faith Leaders

• Alliance of Baptists
• AME Zion Church
• America Indivisible
• American Baptist Church
• American Muslim Public Health Professionals
• Archbishop Vicken Aykazian*
• Asian American Christian Collaborative
• Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
• Association of Neighbors Concerned for Latino Advancement (ANCLA)
• BAPS
• Barbara Carter*
• Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
• Bishop Joseph Walker*
• Bishop Lawrence Reddick*
• Bishop Leah Daughtry
• Bishop Michael Mitchell*
• Bishop Salley Dyck*
• Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton*
• Bishop William Barber II*
• Bridging Cultures Institute
• Catholic Charities USA
• Catholic Health Association
• Center for Public Justice
• Christian Churches Together
• Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
• Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
• CityGate Network
• Community of Christ
• Community Resource Network
• Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
• Council for Christian Colleges and Universities
• Ecumenical Catholic Communion
• Ecumenical Officer for the PCUSA
• Emgage
• Eugene Cho*
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in American
• Faith and Community Empowerment 
• Faith in Action
• Faiths4Vaccines
• Fr. Sr. Rob Nemkovich*
• Franciscan Action Network 
• Fred Davie*
• Friends United Meeting
• Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
• Interfaith Alliance
• Interfaith Center of New York 
• Interfaith Youth Core
• International Council of Community Churches
• Jeannette Salguero*
• Jo Anne Lyon*
• Joshua DuBois*
• Know Your Neighbor
• Leadership Conference of Women Religious
• Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
• Mark Harrison*
• Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos*
• Multifaith Neighbor Network
• NACA Inspired Schools Network
• National African American Clergy Network
• National Association of Evangelicals
• National Council Jewish of Women
• National Latino Evangelical coalition 
• NETWORK
• New York Jewish Agenda
• Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal*
• Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
• Rev. Carlos Malave*
• Rev. Dr. Amos Brown*
• Rev. Eddy Aleman*
• Rev. Jim Winkler*
• Rev. Luis Cortes*
• Rev. Stephen Green*
• Rev. Terri Hord Owens*
• Rev. Tyrone Pitts*
• Salam Al-Marayati*
• Salvation Army 
• Sojourners
• Syriac Orthodox Church
• T.Dewitt Smith*
• The Episcopal Church
• The Episcopal Diocese of Washington
• The Moravian Church Northern Province
• The Sikh Coalition
• United Church of Christ 
• Washington National Cathedral

LGBTQ+ Leaders

• GLAAD
• It Gets Better
• National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC)
• National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
• National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE)
• PFLAG
• TransLatin@
• Trevor Project

Community Leaders

• AARP
• Alliance for Youth Action
• America Indivisible
• Americans United for the Separation of Church of State
• Blue Future
• BSP Research
• Care in Action
• Center for American Progress
• Center for Popular Democracy
• Center for Science in the Public Interest
• Center for Wellness and Nutrition
• Civic Nation
• CLASP/New Deal 4 Youth
• Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
• Data for Progress
• Data for Progress
• Democracy Partners
• Domestic Workers’ Alliance
• Feeding America
• Greater Good Initiative
• Hunger Free America
• Indivisible
• Islamic Networks Group & Affiliates
• Know Your Neighbor
• Meals on Wheels America
• Minority Emergency Preparedness Task Force
• Movement Labs
• National Association of Counties
• National Association of County Health Officials (NACCHO)
• National Bar Association
• National Immigration Law Center (NILC)
• National League of Cities (NLC)
• National WIC Association
• NextGen America
• Opportunity Youth
• ParentsTogether
• People's Action
• People's Action Institute
• School Nutrition Association
• Sierra Club
• Stand Up Republic Foundation
• Stop the Spread
• Students Learn, Students Vote Coalition
• Supermajority
• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
• Think of Us
• Trans Latin@
• UltraViolet
• United We Dream
• Uniting Garden Homes Inc
• USC Keck School of Medicine, Office of Community Initiatives
• Wholesome Wave
• Young Invincibles

* designates an individual that signed on to be a part of COVID-19 Community Corps