Arizona unveils new COVID-19 vaccine public service announcements

PHOENIX — Arizona on Tuesday unveiled two new COVID-19 vaccine public service announcements aimed at educating residents about the safety and effectiveness of the shots.

The two 30-second messages released Tuesday, which feature Gov. Doug Ducey and state health director Dr. Cara Christ, encourage all Arizonans to receive the vaccine.

At 8 a.m. Wednesday, COVID-19 vaccine eligibility was extended to all adults at state-run sites and other points of dispensing in Maricopa County, with the age cutoff set at 16 for the Pfizer vaccine and 18 for Moderna or Johnson & Johnson shots.

“We are taking these vital messages where people are so we can get as many Arizonans vaccinated as possible as soon as possible,” Gov. Ducey said in a press release. “Arizona is committed to administering vaccine equitably and that starts with reaching all Arizonans where they live.”

The PSAs began airing this week on radio, television and social media. They are available in English and Spanish.

The Spanish version also features David Adame, president and CEO of Chicano Por La Causa.

“Since the start of our vaccination efforts, we have been working with partners statewide to ensure that we are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated when it is their turn,” Christ said.

“Getting vaccinated against the disease is the best way to protect you, your family and all of our communities. It is also the best way to help us return to normal.”

More than a quarter of Arizona’s population has received at least one COVID-19 shot as of Wednesday morning.

The state health department’s dashboard showed that 2,979,531 vaccine doses have been administered, with 1,882,931 (26.2% of the population) having received at least one shot and 1,165,151 people fully vaccinated.

Appointments at the state-operated sites can be made online at https://podvaccine.azdhs.gov/ or by calling the 844-542-8201 registration hotline.

For other Valley availability, the Maricopa County Public Health website has a COVID-19 vaccine finder with a map and list of pharmacies, government-run sites, health clinics and pop-up distribution events along with links to the applicable registration pages.

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