by By Gemma DiCarlo February 5, 2021
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A pair of Elkhart County community organizations have partnered to promote the COVID-19 vaccine through social media.
Elkhart County Community Organizations Active in Disasters, or COAD, is a network of Elkhart-area organizations working to prevent and mitigate crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
COAD Chair Rebecca Shetler-Fast said the organization partnered with local nonprofit enFocus to share social media posts from community members who have already had the vaccine.
“Research shows that people are most likely to get vaccinated when they know someone else who has," she said. "So the idea is community members saying ‘This is my reason, what’s yours?’”
The first of eight social media posts promoting the COVID-19 vaccine from Elkhart County COAD and local nonprofit enFocus.CREDIT PROVIDED BY COAD/ENFOCUS
The first post is from County Health Officer Dr. Bethany Wait, but Shetler-Fast said future posts will be from everyday citizens, rather than community leaders.
“This is your neighbors, your family members, your coworkers saying ‘This is why I want to be vaccinated,’" she said. "Typically, that’s what inspires people – it’s more a personal reason than a number.”
Shetler-Fast said she hopes those personal touches will inspire confidence in the vaccine and boost the county’s vaccination rate.
According to the state’s vaccine dashboard, about 7.5 percent of Elkhart County residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 3 percent are fully vaccinated.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo.