Leading Health Care Systems Encourage Safe and Effective Vaccines
NEENAH, Wis. – ThedaCare is collaborating with a coalition of 60 of America’s top hospitals and health care institutions on a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Led by Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, the campaign “Get the Vaccine to Save Lives,” is designed to reassure the public that vaccines are safe, effective and necessary to achieve herd immunity and a return to normal activities.
“The pandemic is not over,” explained Dr. Mark Cockley, Chief Clinical Officer and President of ThedaCare’s Clinically Integrated Network. “The vaccines are certainly a turning point and we are making great progress in Wisconsin. It is important to get vaccinated if you are able to do so. If someone waits to get vaccinated, they run the risk of contracting the virus, spreading it to others, or contributing to virus variants that we continue to see around the country and in our area. The sooner we can vaccinate eligible individuals with a vaccine that is deemed safe by the FDA, the better.”
The campaign hopes to reach adults who are hesitant to receive a vaccine, including racial and minority ethnic groups and people living in rural communities. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey published March 30, 17% of the public say they will take a wait-and-see approach before getting it themselves, and another 20% say they will never get a vaccine or will only get it if required to do so for work, school or other activities. This leaves a significant portion of the population at risk of going unvaccinated.
The nationwide campaign includes print and digital advertising, media outreach, social media, an awareness video and an informational website.
With vaccine distribution underway, the campaign aims to help Americans feel safe and confident about receiving a vaccine. To achieve herd immunity and help end the pandemic, leading health officials say at least 75% of the population needs to receive a vaccine. Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who have been vaccinated.
Vaccine Appointments Available at ThedaCare
From April 14-27, 2021, ThedaCare is expecting to receive 2,478 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, which will include doses of Moderna and Pfizer. Specifically, 800 doses of Moderna and 228 doses of Pfizer for April 21-27.
At this time, limited appointments are still available for the next 7-10 days. Locations with available appointments include Appleton, Berlin, Neenah and Shawano.
For the convenience of community members can schedule vaccine appointment through a direct scheduling process. Patients will have the opportunity to select a vaccine manufacturer, if there is a preference, along with the available appointment time and location that best suits them. ThedaCare only recommends vaccines that are deemed to be safe, and encourages community members to get vaccinated when they are eligible.
ThedaCare will manage COVID-19 vaccine scheduling for people primarily through MyThedaCare/My Chart. If you’re not a current ThedaCare patient or do not have MyThedaCare, you can set up a free account at MyThedaCare.org. MyThedaCare is also accessible on mobile devices through the MyChart app (available on both iOS and Android).
Create a MyThedaCare Account:
- Visit MyThedaCare.org
- Click “Sign Up Now”
- Follow the prompts
- Visit MyThedaCare today to ensure your account information is up to date. Then monitor your email and app alerts in the coming weeks for your notification.
If you can’t find the information you need or are having trouble accessing your MyThedaCare account, please call the MyThedaCare technical help desk at 877.259.6180.
More than 195 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and 48% of the population age 18 and over has received at least one vaccine dose in the U.S. through April 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The vaccines met the Food and Drug Administration’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization.
For more information about the campaign, visit ourshot2savelives.org.
About ThedaCare
For more than 110 years, ThedaCare® has been committed to improving the health of the communities it serves in northeast and central Wisconsin. The organization delivers care to more than 600,000 residents in 17 counties and employs approximately 7,000 health care professionals. ThedaCare has 180 points of care, including seven hospitals. As an organization committed to being a leader in Population Health, team members are dedicated to empowering people to live their best lives through easy access to individualized care, supporting each person’s own health and wellbeing. ThedaCare also partners with communities to understand unique needs, finding solutions together, and encouraging health awareness and action. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care
Network Member, giving specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a not-for-profit health system with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs, as well as primary care.
For more information, visit thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on social media. Members of the media should call Cassandra Wallace, Public and Media Relations Consultant at 920.442.0328 or the ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah switchboard at 920.729.3100 and ask for the marketing person on call.
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