State COVID vaccine campaign to target Beaumont in first days

Jefferson County will be one of first communities featured in the next phase of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) vaccination campaign.

DSHS is launching the next phase of its campaign, encouraging Texans to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The campaign combines general information on vaccine safety and effectiveness with messages geared toward specific groups that research shows tend to be less likely to get vaccinated.

“Our research shows that individual health care professionals are the most trusted voices for people deciding whether to get vaccinated,” said DSHS Commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt. “Over the coming weeks, we will continue to share messages encouraging various communities to get vaccinated. We are also relying on trusted voices within those communities to speak up and let their neighbors know that the available COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to end the pandemic and restore normalcy.”

Along with a $1.5 million television and radio ad buy, DSHS will have the first of 22 parking lot pop-up events around Texas. These 4-hour events, hosted in Walmart parking lots through mid-May, will feature a 16-foot video wall with facts about COVID-19 vaccines. The first three events are Thursday, April 22, in Austin; Friday, April 23, in Houston; and Saturday, April 24, in Beaumont.