John, I want to share with you an article I saw the other day.
This is a story I know thousands of Women’s Marchers can relate to, and speaks loudly about the vaccine disinformation crisis we currently face.
Right now, the Biden administration is aiming to get 80% of adult Americans vaccinated by this summer, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that the gender divide in vaccination rates is one of the biggest challenges in reaching that goal. Women are getting vaccinated at a much higher rate — about 10 percentage points — than men.
This latest data update is a powerful reminder why we started our Digital Defenders program at Women’s March. We know that there’s a lot of misinformation online — perpetuated by Trump’s top allies in Congress and talking heads on Fox News — that’s hindering millions from receiving their vaccine.
That’s why when the vaccine rollout began, Women’s March got straight to work training women through our Digital Defenders program so they can combat disinformation online about COVID-19 vaccines. Educating the public on the safety, effectiveness, and availability of vaccines is a critical step to making sure we reach our country’s immunization goal this summer.
Here’s a snippet from the New York Times article I mentioned earlier:
Holly Elgison and Len Schillaci are a mixed vaxxed couple, and they are far from alone. “I was always going to get the vaccine, 100 percent,” said Ms. Elgison, a medical claims auditor in Valrico, Fla. Her husband, a disaster insurance adjuster, said he will pass. “To be honest with you, I think that the worst of Covid is behind us,” Mr. Schillaci said. “I’m good.”
I know that this story is all too familiar for so many families in our country. We all want our loved ones to be safe and healthy — and that’s why Women’s March takes this work seriously.
Our COVID vaccine disinformation campaign is one of our most ambitious projects yet. Through your grassroots support, we can do things like:
Thank you for being a part of this important project. Our work is only possible thanks to grassroots donors like you.
Rachel Carmona
Executive Director
Women's March