Austin Doctors Appear in National Video Urging Patients to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19

The Delta variant is raging across the U.S., leading to rising COVID-19 cases in every state—yet more than one-fourth of U.S. adults are still not fully vaccinated. Concerned with the variant's high rate of transmission, and feeling the strains of rising hospitalizations on Texas' critical care resources, doctors with Austin Regional Clinic, Premier Family Physicians and Capital Medical Clinic have teamed up with physicians across the nation in a vaccine video initiative. Now, more than ever, their message is clear: It's time to "Roll Up Our Sleeves" and help stop the spread of COVID-19. The goal of the "Roll up Our Sleeves" website  and video campaign is to educate those who are still unsure about getting vaccinated.

Reasons for opposition are varied. According to recent statistics by the CDC, 10% of American adults fall into the "wait and see" category. An additional 14% of American adults report that they have no plans of getting the vaccine at all. However, the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine should help with vaccine hesitation. 

Yet, the results of a study just released from the CDC showed that unvaccinated people are 10 times more likely to become infected and 11 times more likely to die from the coronavirus than those who are vaccinated.

"Misinformation has been a driving force behind vaccine hesitancy," says Mark Ambler, MD, Associate Chief of Family Medicine at Austin Regional Clinic. "But experts say that the most trusted messengers for COVID-19 information are healthcare professionals, such as primary care doctors. That is why we took part in the Roll Up Our Sleeves campaign. Our goal is to increase vaccine confidence so we can reach herd immunity."

The Roll Up Our Sleeves public service initiative is a combined effort between agilon health, an organization that champions the roles of independent physicians, and primary care doctors representing more than 50 independent physician practices across the country. Their goal is to combat the doubt felt by an alarming percentage of Americans who remain reluctant about getting vaccinated.

The "Roll Up Our Sleeves" video highlights the effectiveness of vaccinations over the past century, such as polio, mumps, and measle vaccines, which have wiped out infections and drastically reduced mortality rates. The website contains information about the effectiveness of the vaccine, side effects, phases of eligibility, tips about how to sign up for vaccines, and resources for healthcare professionals.

View the national video here
View the Austin video here

SOURCE Connected Senior Care Advantage