Pope Francis, along with six cardinals and archbishops from North, South, and Central America, makes a powerful appeal in an Ad Council campaign reminding people that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and an “act of love.”
Released on Wednesday, August 18, the public service announcement video, “It’s Up To You,” is delivered in English, Spanish and Portuguese with hopes of inspiring confidence in the vaccines to a global audience.
“Thanks to God’s grace and to the work of many, we now have vaccines to protect us from COVID-19,” Pope Francis says in the PSA. “Getting the vaccines that are authorized by the respective authorities is an act of love.”
To reach this global audience as part of their broader “It’s Up To You” campaign, the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative partnered on this PSA with His Holiness Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome; Archbishop José Horacio Gómez Velasco (Los Angeles, CA, USA), Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes (Mexico City, Mexico), Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga (Tegucigalpa, Honduras), Cardinal Cláudio Hummes (Sao Paolo, Brasil), Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez (San Salvador, El Salvador) and Archbishop Héctor Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte (Trujillo, Perú).
“The role of trusted messengers to educate and inspire their networks is undeniable — and has been a core element of our COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative since the beginning,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “To the world’s billion-plus Catholics, the Pope is one of the most trusted messengers and holds unparalleled influence. We are extremely grateful to him and the cardinals and archbishops for lending their voices and platforms to help people across the globe feel more confident in the vaccines.”
Watch the PSA featuring Pope Francis here.
For more information and answers to top questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, visit GetVaccineAnswers.org and DeTiDepende.org.
