Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke wants you to get ready for the new COVID-19 vaccines.
The campaign, “Get Ready: It’s up to you. It’s up to us.” includes a personal commitment to get the vaccine, shares safety precautions, and provides resources for the public.
“There’s understandably a lot of enthusiasm about the vaccines right now,” Mayor Berke said. “We want to harness that excitement and encourage the public to get informed and commit to getting the vaccine when it’s available to them. The more people who receive it, the more effective it will be, and while we wait for it to be distributed throughout Hamilton County, we want to be a resource for reliable information.”
Since March 2020, Chattanooga and Hamilton County have been working together to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of December 2020, more than 20,000 Hamilton County residents have been infected with the virus and more than 200 residents have died.
Vaccine distribution in our community will be led and coordinated by the Hamilton County Health Department. The City of Chattanooga is committed to working with the State of Tennessee, the Hamilton County Health Department, and the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management to support a localized vaccine distribution plan.
“Because of the extensive review process, we know these vaccines are safe and effective,” Mayor Berke added. “What we don’t know is when exactly the vaccine will be available to everyone.
“In the meantime, we have to keep working to stop the spread of the coronavirus in our community.”
The City is encouraging the public and local community leaders to use their individual platforms within their social circles to keep the vaccine and safety precautions top of mind.
“We want to approach this campaign with the same sense of urgency and enthusiasm that we saw around the 2020 election or the census,” said Kerry Hayes, Chief of Staff. “All year long on social media, we saw people committing to vote, using tools and resources to get registered, and spreading the word about how to get involved. We need to do that for this vaccine and we need the public’s help.”
To make a personal commitment to get vaccinated, receive weekly updates, and find social media tools to share, visit cha.city/vaccine.
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