According to a Hart Research survey conducted in September, 86 percent of Americans polled believe that a vaccine will be effective in curbing the virus, yet only 35 percent say they will definitely get vaccinated themselves.
According to a Pew Research poll released December 3, 60 percent of Americans said they would take the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, up from 51 percent in a September poll. When people were asked if they are comfortable with being one of the first to get the vaccine, the number dropped to 37 percent. Furthermore,
About four-in-ten (39%) say they definitely or probably would not get a coronavirus vaccine, though about half of this group — or 18% of U.S. adults — says it’s possible they would decide to get vaccinated once people start getting a vaccine and more information becomes available. Yet, 21% of U.S. adults do not intend to get vaccinated and are “pretty certain” more information will not change their mind.
To help nudge those Americans who are vaccine-hesitant, on November 23, the Ad Council, in collaboration with the COVID Collaborative, launched the $50 million Fund National COVID-19 Vaccine Education Effort.
The Ad Council has created some of the most influential advertising campaigns in U.S. history, including:
- Loose Lips Sink Ships
- Buy War Bonds
- Smokey, the Bear
- The Peace Corps, the Toughest Job You Will Ever Love
- A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste
- Just Say No
- Love Has No Labels
And in the beginning months of the coronavirus lockdowns, the Ad Council collaborated with Google and other groups and government agencies to launch the nationwide #StayHome. Save Lives. movement.
Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council, was interviewed by Ari Shapiro on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered concerning the $50 million campaign. During the interview, Sherman told Shapiro,
We are embarking on the largest communications effort in our history around this campaign. And as we think about this campaign, because it is going to be the most significant in our history, kind of think of it as our moonshot moment. We’re approaching this with the size and the speed and the scale and the urgency, unlike anything we’ve ever done before….
You know, this is an issue that literally affects every American in this country. So what we need is a unified and consistent message versus a patchwork approach. We really don’t think that that would work. Everything we do has to be science-based and data-driven.
Other media outlets engaging in similar efforts to convince people to take the COVID-19 vaccine are running articles such as:
- How will we convince people to take the vaccine?
- How to Convince Skeptics to Trust a COVID Vaccine
- How will marketers persuade the public to take the coronavirus vaccine?
- Paid to get COVID-19 vaccination? Take a look at one proposal
- Obama, Bush, Clinton Willing To Take COVID-19 Vaccine On TV To Promote Public Confidence
- Politicians Propose Giving Stimulus Checks as Incentive to Take COVID-19 Vaccine
- Opinion: Vaccines don’t stop pandemics; vaccinations do
- Washington’s next COVID-19 challenge: easing anxiety, skepticism over pending vaccine
