TORONTO -- A coalition of COVID-19 task forces and doctors serving racialized and ethnic communities across Canada have banded together to launch the 鈥楾his is our Shot鈥 campaign, aiming to battle vaccine hesitancy and encourage Canadians to get inoculated.
The organizations behind the movement, which include the South Asian COVID Task Force, Siksika Health Services, The Canadian Muslim COVID-19 Task Force and the Black Health Initiative, created the campaign out of a desire to make sure public health messaging was getting through to underserved communities.
鈥淲e had this perspective of using our community connections, our knowledge of our cultures to help get the prevailing public health messaging out, both through traditional media, cultural ethnic mediums and through digital mediums that we know that our communities partake in,鈥 said campaigner and trauma and emergency physician at Hamilton Health Sciences Dr. Dashminder Singh Sehdev in a telephone interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. 鈥淔or example, the use of WhatsApp as the information medium is prevalent amongst South Asians.鈥
Those who wish to join the campaign can purchase a shirt online, with all proceeds going to the Kids Help Phone charity, then wear the shirt while getting vaccinated and post a photo on social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram, with the hashtag #ThisIsOurShotCA.
Sehdev said the campaign centres around 鈥渇ears that need to be addressed鈥 and respectfully acknowledging that people 鈥渉ave questions about vaccines.鈥
鈥淎s Canadians, we have to be respectful of other people's concerns, that's who we are - we don't we don't ignore people when they're worried about something,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o it made sense intrinsically to launch with something where people can get questions answered.鈥
In order to address the questions Canadians may have about COVID-19 vaccines, the campaign has information available on its website in more than 25 languages, and has organized a virtual town hall to go live April 28 with a panel of doctors moderated by Olympian Clara Hughes.
Sehdev said the campaign is aimed at people in racialized communities who are front-line workers and cannot work from home, people who are 鈥渃ritical to the infrastructure of the broader community.鈥
鈥淲hen people are able to work from home, they're able to work from home because these people are not working from home 鈥 there鈥檚 no paid sick leave. They're not incentivized to stay home if they're sick, even though they do recognize it's in their interest overall to do so,鈥 Sehdev explained. 鈥淭hey're just not financially able to make it happen, and with common questions around vaccine hesitancy, having the scientific and medical leadership in our ethnic groups acknowledge that vaccination is our best way out of this - that's how we formed the 鈥楾his is our shot鈥 campaign.鈥
The campaign including actor Ryan Reynolds, musician Bif Naked, astronaut Dr. Roberta Bondar and Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser.
鈥淲e're super excited that that people have been so behind this, because as a front-line health-care worker鈥t's been exhausting, our system is as close as it's ever been to the breaking point,鈥 Sehdev said. 鈥淪o personally, it's been such a huge morale booster to see prominent Canadians step in and say, 鈥榟ey guys, this is how we can help out.鈥欌
Campaign ambassador and Olympian Clara Hughes said on 愛污传媒 Channel Wednesday that she become involved with 鈥淭his is our Shot鈥 a month ago because of teammate Wickenheiser.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so important to bring some positivity, to share information from doctors in all languages in communities across Canada, so we can have the information we need and share our vaccine stories,鈥 Hughes said.
鈥淚t means so much to me to encourage fellow Canadians to do something - to feel like I can do something to help,鈥 she continued, sharing that she got very 鈥渆motional鈥 when it came time to get her own vaccine.
鈥淕oing up the escalator and being greeted by all these amazing people saying 鈥榳elcome this is your day鈥欌 there was this palpable sense of excitement and relief 鈥 it means protecting myself, my spouse and my family,鈥 she said.
Hughes said that she, like many Canadians, has 鈥渇elt helpless,鈥 and joining the campaign is 鈥渟omething we can do to help, we all get to share our vaccine stories and encourage each other.鈥
Sehdev agrees. 鈥淭his is what I love about being Canadian,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 love people coming together over a common cause. I love people recognizing that each one of us has a role to play in getting through this.鈥
鈥淚t's not just about paramedics and doctors and nurses - yeah, we have a specific role,鈥 Sehdev said. 鈥淏ut you know what? My neighbour across the street has a specific role when they talk to their friends about the town hall so they can submit their questions, getting them answered and then maybe saying 鈥榶ou know what? I think I'm ready to do this - I want to do this.鈥欌
The 鈥淭his is our Shot" town hall will go live online Wednesday at 8 p.m. EDT. It can be accessed .
