Office of the Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued the following announcement on Dec. 23.
Governor Doug Ducey and Dr. Richard Carmona, 17th U.S. Surgeon General, are joining forces on social media and broadcast outlets to urge Arizonans to make a lifesaving choice:
“COVID-19 vaccines and boosters save lives,” Governor Ducey said in the public service announcement. “Roll up your sleeve today.”
Carmona, the Governor’s special adviser on public health preparedness, notes that Arizona hospitals are strained because of COVID-19 patients, most of whom are unvaccinated. With the extraordinarily contagious Omicron variant spreading quickly nationwide, getting vaccinated protects you and the community.
“To protect yourself and to help hospitals care for everyone, we need more people to get the vaccine,” Carmona said. “It’s safe, free, and extremely effective.”
Further, people who have been vaccinated should make sure their protection is up-to-date, especially with Omicron spreading, by getting a booster dose. Boosters are strongly recommended for everyone 18 and older at least six months after receiving the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine and at least two months after the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine. For ages 16 and 17, boosters are recommended at least six months after the Pfizer vaccine.
About three-quarters of eligible Arizonans have yet to get a booster dose, and more than half of those 65 and older who are eligible have yet to get boosted. Meanwhile, about one in three eligible Arizonans has yet to be vaccinated at a time when many will be gathering to celebrate the holidays.
“Arizona has come a long way in the battle against COVID-19, but there’s still a lot of work to do,” Governor Ducey said.
The new PSA is available on the Arizona Department of Health Services’ YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts and will soon have placements with streaming services and Arizona broadcast outlets.
While vaccines and boosters offer the surest protection against COVID-19, ADHS continues to recommend that Arizonans, vaccinated or not, continue taking steps proven to reduce the spread:
- Stay home and do not host gatherings if you are sick.
- Wear a mask covering your mouth and nose and maintain physical distance in public indoor settings, including when you gather with those you don’t live with.
- Get tested if you have symptoms or five to seven days after exposure to someone who has or who you suspect has COVID-19.
- If in doubt about whether you have COVID-19, consider using an at-home rapid antigen test before you gather with relatives and friends.
- Keep your hands thoroughly washed or sanitized.
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