Survey Says: Over 50% Of MA Residents Don't Trust COVID Vaccines

Folks in Massachusetts will soon be seeing a new public awareness campaign called, “Trust the Facts, Get the Vax.”

According to a story reported on by WWLP/22 News Springfield, Massachusetts residents will soon be seeing tv commercials and social media ads about facts surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine.

The state is calling this campaign “Trust the Facts, Get the Vax.”

Included in the message, doctors and community leaders in an effort to educate more people about the vaccine. At the local level, towns like West Springfield have been fielding hundreds of calls a day from residents with questions, which officials see as a positive.

West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt had this to say:

I think overall that’s a good thing. Showing people are comfortable with it, they want to get it, and they want to get through this.

Governor Charlie Baker said the survey found that 53 percent of respondents had concerns about the vaccines. People of color and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were disproportionately represented among those who had concerns.

At a recent news conference, Governor Baker said, "We recognize that insuring access [to vaccines] is not enough, we need to reach out to people in these communities who may be hesitant about the vaccination."

In addition to the campaign, Gov. Baker launched a hotline to help Massachusetts residents 75 and older make appointments for the vaccine. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. All you need to is call 211.

Please check out the initial story at WWLP/22 News' website here.