In This Together Cambria has developed educational materials about COVID-19 and the available vaccines designed to reach people who have not yet received a vaccine because they have questions about the science and safety.
“At this point, the COVID vaccine is widely available, so almost everybody who was eager to get it has done so,” said Ashlee Kiel of ITTC. “But to reach herd immunity, we need 70 percent of the population to be vaccinated, and we’re not there yet. We know that many people have questions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, which is a good thing. We want to help people make the best health decisions for themselves and their families by providing accurate, vetted information free from politicization and bias.”
The materials include:
Brochures. Three brochures have been developed by ITTC together with the Cambria County Emergency Management Agency and the Somerset County Department of Emergency Services. They are:
- What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine: Covers the basics of how the three vaccines available in the United States work, their safety, side effects, and other frequently asked questions.
- The science behind COVID-19 vaccines: A more in-depth explanation of how the vaccines work.
- COVID-19 vaccine for kids and teens: An explanation of why it’s a good idea for kids aged 12 and up to be vaccinated.
Organizations or businesses in Cambria or Somerset counties that would like to distribute the brochures can request up to 250 copies of each brochure using a form on the website. In addition, PDF copies of the brochures can be printed from the website if just a few are needed.
COVID Info to Know & Share videos. This series of short educational videos about COVID-19, vaccines, myths, and more, was created by Jill D. Henning, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Biology at Pitt-Johnstown. They provide accurate, science-based information in a format that’s easy to consume.
COVID Questions forums. These virtual forums, moderated by Chip Minemyer of The Tribune-Democrat, cover a wide variety of topics related to the pandemic. To date 12 forums have been presented, and are available in their entirety for viewing on the website.
Digital materials. A group of infographics about COVID-19 have been formatted for Instagram and made available for easy download and sharing from personal or organizational social media accounts.
“We plan to continue developing more videos, graphics, and forums in the weeks to come,” Kiel said. “We are committed to continuing to work together to meet this crisis, and hope people will use these materials to help friends, relatives, and employees make the decision to get vaccinated.”