NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Templeton Religion Trust (TRT) recently commissioned a national Covid-19 vaccine advocacy campaign called “Now is the Time”.
TRT is a global charitable trust headquartered in Nassau, Bahamas, and the vibrant campaign takes a data-driven approach aimed at understanding the main reasons for reluctance to the vaccine in The Bahamas.
It also offers a more personalized approach through the creation of thoughtful messages respectfully encouraging unvaccinated Bahamians and residents to take the vaccine.
Although vaccines are widely available in The Bahamas, the country’s vaccination rate has plateaued at approximately 50 percent, underscoring both the importance and timeliness of the campaign. While some argue that the end of the pandemic is near, new variants continue to place a strain on health care infrastructure across the globe.
Both local and international medical professionals continue to advise that vaccines are still the best defense against the virus, as higher vaccination rates aid in reducing the emergence of new variants. Vaccines are proven safe and effective, with more than 21 million doses administered daily and approximately five billion people worldwide have received the Covid-19 shot. They also reduce the chance of hospitalization or death by 90 percent.
Local research conducted on behalf of TRT shows that, among those participating in the survey, 48 percent believe that the vaccines were developed too quickly, while 58 percent of interviewees indicated that they were still waiting to see if the doses are safe.
Conversely, 70 percent of those polled perceived Covid-19 as a threat to their health, which outweighed their decision to remain unvaccinated. The second-largest contributing factor to the decision to get vaccinated was that 40 percent of respondents knew someone who was seriously ill or died from Covid-19.
The campaign, which directly addresses the concerns around vaccine hesitancy that were identified in the data collected, combines relevant information with firsthand accounts of Bahamians sharing their personal experiences with the virus.
One such story comes from Trevann Thompson, a local blog editor and SEO specialist with an underlying health condition. Thompson, who is now vaccinated, shares that her views on taking the Covid-19 vaccine changed after she was diagnosed with the virus despite carefully following health protocols like sanitizing and social distancing. “
“As someone with asthma and the mother of a son who has asthma, I decided to get vaccinated out of an abundance of caution for myself and my family,” said Thompson.
“All of my close friends are now vaccinated because we felt safe taking the Covid-19 vaccination and decided that now was the best time to do it.”
Collective stories, Covid-19 vaccination facts, and helpful links shared by the ‘Now is the Time’ campaign are intended to be used as tools for discussions to encourage friends and families to be vaccinated. With the rate of Covid-19 cases increasing in several countries, TRT said it is more important than ever for Bahamians and residents to be reminded that now is the time to protect their health.
For more information, visit nowisthetime242.com and follow @nowisthetime.242 on Instagram and Facebook.
