Administration launches vaccine awareness campaign, new call center for those 75+

The Baker-Polito administration today announced a new call center to help residents 75 and older who are unable to access the COVID-19 vaccine appointment website to schedule appointments and a new multilingual vaccine public awareness campaign: “Trust the Facts. Get the Vax.”

The administration said the new Vaccine Scheduling Resource Line will be staffed with more than 500 representatives to provide live phone support to assist residents with booking an appointment. The line will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The line can be accessed by dialing 2–1–1 and selecting the prompt for “Help Scheduling a Vaccine Appointment.” Residents may have to wait on the line given expected high call volume, according to the administration.

Live call center workers will be available in English and Spanish, and 100 additional languages will be available through translators. Call center workers will have the same access to appointments that users will see on the public website (www.mass.gov/COVIDvaccine).

Once connected with a representative, the caller will be asked to confirm whether he or she is 75 or older and either lacks internet access or otherwise cannot use the website to book an appointment. Call-takers will then use the state’s COVID-19 vaccine site map to find nearby locations and determine whether appointments are available.

If no appointments are available within a distance the caller can travel, then the caller will be offered the chance to be placed on a call-back list for an appointment at one of the state’s mass vaccination sites. Residents will receive a call-back as appointments become available at these sites.

Due to high demand and limited supply, callers may experience significant wait times. The administration said wait times will be monitored and adjustments will be made as necessary.

Trust the Facts. Get the Vax.
The research-driven, $2.5 million, statewide public awareness campaign explains how the vaccine works, promotes the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and urges residents to get vaccinated when it is their turn, according to the administration. The ads feature a diverse group of medical professionals who highlight the importance of the vaccine and aim to build trust with communities of color and other populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

The campaign seeks to build trust around its safety and efficacy with communities of color and other populations. It is grounded in extensive survey research indicating that these messages are most effectively delivered by medical professionals.

TV ads in English and Spanish feature doctors who represent a wide range of races, ethnicities and regions of Massachusetts. Additional animated ads will run on TV and digital platforms in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Russian, Arabic and Albanian.

The first TV ad will run locally this Sunday during the Super Bowl Kick-Off show. Throughout the next several weeks, the awareness effort will be visible on a variety of additional platforms in several languages, including English, Spanish and Portuguese radio, paid social media and search ads in all languages, streaming services, and print advertising in English and Spanish outlets. A companion video in American Sign Language is also launching today.

To develop the campaign, the Commonwealth relied on insights from a 1,000-person survey of Massachusetts residents that identified motivators and barriers around the vaccine, as well as the most effective messages and trusted voices. The administration also consulted with a 19-member external advisory group that includes community organizations, leaders from communities of color, health care providers, and local health officials.

Additional elements of the campaign will launch throughout the vaccine distribution process. The campaign will continue to direct residents to www.mass.gov/COVIDvaccine, where they can learn more about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and when and where they will be able to get vaccinated.