As Democratic Party leaders and candidates were making their pitches to the nation Thursday night, the Texas Medical Association was sending another important and familiar message to Texans: “Vaccines defend what matters – our health, jobs, families.”
In a new ad campaign that debuted during the Democratic National Convention, TMA reminds Texans of the many ways vaccinations protect us.
The first ad was televised on CNN, MSNBC, and FOX in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio areas. A second ad will run Thursday, Aug. 27, during the closing night of the Republican National Convention.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us what can happen when we don’t have a vaccine for a highly contagious disease,” said TMA President Diana L. Fite, MD, of Houston, quoting the ad. “Diseases impact our physical health, and they can affect our jobs and our economy.”
Check out the ad and be sure to share it on your personal or your practice’s social media accounts.
A 2019 Gallup poll showed the majority of Americans (72%) say vaccinations are safe. Despite this, declining vaccination rates in Texas have made the Lone Star State vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Texas was among the states with a measles outbreak in 2019, a disease that was declared eliminated in 2000.
While we wait for a vaccine to protect against COVID-19, physicians should remind Texans about the importance of vaccinations. “When we all do what we can to stay healthy, including getting our vaccinations, Texas benefits,” said Dr. Fite.
The ads are part of TMA’s new multimedia education and community vaccine effort, Vaccines Defend What Matters, which will reach underinsured and uninsured Texans particularly where vaccine hesitancy is high and vaccination rates low.
TMA also has created a CME course, Talk to Your Patients About: Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, designed to help you understand the diseases vaccines prevent so you have better information when speaking with patients.
The course is part of TMA’s ongoing Talk to Your Patients multimedia campaign, which gives you tools, information, and resources to help you discuss vaccinations with patients. The series cover vaccine-preventable diseases and common vaccination myths.