Marylandian - National Minority Health Association Launches PSA to Increase Vaccine Confidence in Minority Communities

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Performed by Voices of Our City Choir™, "Not Throwing Away My Shot" Parodies Hit Hamilton song

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Marylandian -- The National Minority Health Association (NMHA) today announced that it is embarking on a PSA campaign that will play a key role in getting minority communities to take the COVID-19 vaccine and end this pandemic. The "Not Throwing Away My Shot" vaccine trust campaign will debut as a public service announcement on cable networks, social media, and via local and national influencers. Inspired by the music of the award-winning theatrical production, Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the song will be performed by the Voices of Our City Choir, which has been featured on America's Got Talent™. "Not Throwing Away My Shot" will be a rallying cry and spearhead a multichannel engagement campaign created with the assistance and support of Dr. Ian Smith, host of "The Doctors" syndicated TV show, myVax™, and Sage Growth Partners (SGP) For more information visit www.notthrowingawaymyshot.org. View the PSA here: https://www.thenmha.org/NotThrowingAwayMyShot

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the country needs to reach a 70% vaccination rate to end the pandemic. Hesitancy or "wait and see" attitudes about receiving the vaccine will slow down the ability to attain this goal. Studies show that minorities have a higher rate of fear (some estimates and research show upwards of 40%) and reluctance to vaccines. Increasing the awareness and comfort level within minority communities is critical to achieving the highest level of vaccination possible and the opportunity to protect the most lives. COVID-19 has reduced minority life expectancy by years. With a mission of health equity and the elimination of the healthcare disparity gap, addressing the vaccination issue is of critical importance and priority to achieve health equity.

"Everyone needs to know and feel comfortable that all FDA-approved vaccines are proven to prevent nearly 100% of deaths and hospitalization. The best shot is the one you get. If our "My Shot" parody can help reach minority communities and ease fear, then we have accomplished our goal," said Executive Director of the NMHA, Burgess Harrison. "With the musical support from Voices of Our City Choir, we believe that we have jointly created a parody that is impactful, memorable and engaging. We are grateful that Steph Johnson and her choir team lent their talent to this effort."

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"I am thrilled to support this important effort," said "The Doctors" host, Dr. Ian Smith. "While targeted to minority communities, this effort benefits everyone because the vaccine will stop the spread of the virus which impacts all of us."

"The NMHA is taking on health equity, one of the most critical issues of our time," said Sage Growth Partners, Daniel D'Orazio. "As Martin Luther King said, "life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'' This is something that we at SGP believe in as a core value. Taking the vaccine is something we need to do for ourselves but even more important, for others. This campaign will go a long way to help build confidence and move us closer to a return to normalcy."

In addition to the PSA, the campaign will also include engagement initiatives to help educate and drive home the value of taking the vaccine when offered. These campaign tactics will include resources to find the vaccine and governmental information, facts to counter myths and inaccuracies, and a social media effort to enlist local influencers to reinforce the positives or dispel the negatives of the vaccine. Additionally, people will be able to access myVax, their personal information management tool that allows the user to manage their vaccines and immunizations for life in a safe, secure, digital format. If needed, myVax also includes the option of a digital vaccine passport.

"This important public health effort that has disproportionately hit minority communities. The "My Shot" campaign will go beyond awareness and seek to engage the community with accurate information to help in decision making as it relates to acceptance of the vaccines. With a focus on health due to it being Minority Health Month and World Health Day, April 7^th, coupled with the need, it's the right time to launch this effort," said Harrison.

About NMHA. The National Minority Health Association, founded in 1988 by Dr. David L. Dalton, Chairman, and CEO, UNIVEC Conglomerate, Inc.(UNVC), achieved its initial mission of ensuring the establishment of Offices of Minority Health in all 50 states. Today the NMHA is adding to its mission and deploying new programs that utilize patient-centered, value-based care, and new ways of enhancing care to patients where they are, lowering costs, and improving outcomes for minority and underserved communities. To find out more, visit www.theNMHA.org. Become a member of the NMHA Health Equity Action Leaders network (HEAL) and join the fight for health equity. https://www.thenmha.org/donation.

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About Voices of Our City. Voices of Our City Choir is a non-profit organization that is helping San Diego's unsheltered neighbors reconnect with hope and possibility through the healing power of music. Founded in 2016, the choir serves as a safe space for mutual aid and community building, and gives a voice to San Diego's unsheltered community, both past, and present. Today, Voices of Our City Choir has more than 225 members and has helped over 70 of their members get off the street and into temporary or permanent housing. In addition to its programs and advocacy work, Voices of Our City Choir also serves as an inspirational musical ensemble. In 2020, the choir was introduced on a national scale when they made it to the semi-finals of America's Got Talent, NBC's No. 1 summer show. The choir performs with an award-winning jazz group and performance-generated funds help employ case management staff and provide food and resources to choir members. For more information, go towww.voicesofourcity.org.

About Sage Growth Partners. Sage Growth Partners accelerates commercial success for B2B, B2B2C, and B2C healthcare organizations through a singular focus on growth. The company helps its clients thrive amid the complexities of a rapidly changing marketplace with deep domain expertise and an integrated application of research, strategy, and marketing. Founded in 2005, Sage Growth Partners is located in Baltimore, MD, and serves clients such as Philips Healthcare, U.S. Renal Care, Quest Diagnostics, Vocera, Olive, iN2L, and Aperture. Visit us at http://sage-growth.com.

About myVax™. myVax is an affordable system from EagleForce that allows you to track your vaccinations and medication and control your health history in one place. EagleForce helps clients in the design and deployment of intelligent systems where man and machine interface and applications are designed to optimize the performance of each by providing the heavy lifting for many of the most difficult problems in computer science. Learn more about myVax at www.myvax.com.