Planned Parenthood Launches Two Million Dollar COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign

Effort Will Include Grassroots Outreach and Educational Efforts in English and Spanish, Aims to Reach 1.5 Million People by Early Fall

Select Health Centers Across the Country Administering COVID-19 Vaccines and Providing COVID-19 Testing

New York, NY — Planned Parenthood announced today that it is launching a $2 million bilingual campaign to inform and encourage people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The effort, dubbed Protect. Every. Body, will include grassroots outreach to 1.5 million people, and will also come to life via videos, images, and other outreach through the organization’s robust social media platforms, email lists, and website — with a collective audience of more than 20 million engaged supporters. The campaign will also include a pilot program to help combat disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines, and to help boost confidence in and amplify medically-accurate information. A growing number of Planned Parenthood health centers across the country are providing the COVID-19 vaccine and COVID-19 testing.

The launch comes ahead of President Biden’s 100th day in office and all Americans over 18 years old becoming eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 19.

Statement from Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

“COVID-19 has left our communities devastated — we have lost friends, neighbors, and family members in the past year to this deadly pandemic. Across the country, people are facing long-term health and economic consequences, particularly within communities of color. We need vaccine administration and education to put an end to this pandemic. In this moment, Planned Parenthood’s mission has never been clearer: provide the high-quality care and trusted information people need, and our communities deserve, to make the best decisions about their bodies and live the life they want — healthy, strong, and protected against COVID-19.”

To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has killed nearly 560,000 people in the U.S. and left even more with long-term health and economic consequences. Within communities of color — who make up over 39% of Planned Parenthood’s patient base — the devastating impact has been disproportionate:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus has been disproportionately lethal to Black, Latino, Indigenous, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, in large part due to barriers to health care access that result from centuries of systemic racism.
Data also shows that frontline essential workers are disproportionately Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians, subjecting them to particular health and economic risk throughout the pandemic.

A core focus of Planned Parenthood’s campaign will be ensuring that the hardest hit communities get the information and health care they deserve. As a trusted health care provider and educator, Planned Parenthood is uniquely positioned to reach populations who might otherwise not have access to health care or trusted information about the COVID-19 vaccines. The Protect. Every. Body. grassroots outreach will be focused on increasing vaccine knowledge and confidence amongst Black, Latino, and AAPI populations, with a special focus on reaching young people. It will also seek to close racial and socio-economic gaps in health outcomes by advocating for equitable distribution and access to COVID-19 vaccines for the communities most affected by the pandemic. Planned Parenthood will deploy organizers across at least 12 states, and will aim to have at least 1.5 million meaningful conversations with people, through phone calls and in-person COVID-19-safe door knocking, by early fall.

The campaign will also work to counteract the growing volume of disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine. Through an innovative pilot program, Planned Parenthood will employ existing, proven methods of combating mis- and disinformation about sexual health and abortion. The goal will be to neutralize incorrect and harmful disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines.

A growing number of Planned Parenthood affiliates are also rolling up their sleeves to offer testing and administer vaccines — aiding in community and nationwide efforts to innovatively and equitably prevent infections. Planned Parenthood health centers are already administering vaccines in Minnesota, Montana, New York, California, and Washington, with more to come.

This campaign will also come to life across the organization’s website, social media channels, and email outreach, reaching a combined audience of 20 million engaged supporters. It will include brand new educational information about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccines, available through a suite of digital assets, videos, and print materials.

As a core provider of community health services and education, Planned Parenthood is proud to be a member of the White House’s COVID-19 Community Corps and the Made to Save Coalition — both aimed at providing trusted, science-based information on the COVID-19 vaccines to communities across the country.

For accurate, up-to-date information about the vaccines and other things you can do to stay healthy, visit PlannedParenthood.org.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for all people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 600 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect, and without judgment, striving to create equitable access to health care. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable education and information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives. Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports the independently incorporated Planned Parenthood affiliates operating health centers across the U.S.