#LoveProtectsUs Stories of Survival for Kaiser Permanente

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the cultural mistrust of medicine among communities of color. While the numbers of COVID-related deaths among young black and brown people continued to rise, the unvaccinated remained hesitant about the vaccine. If historically healthcare has shown racial bias and lack of care for their community, how could they be sure this shot was created with them in mind? That skepticism was amplified by both misinformation spread on social media and the idea that being young and healthy was enough to protect them from contracting and spreading this deadly virus. Despite these dangerous circumstances, black and brown youth were returning to their pre-pandemic activities: gathering unmasked for festivals, parties, and events without taking the proper precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones. Kaiser Permanente’s Vaccine Confidence campaign aimed to reach young unvaccinated Black and Hispanic individuals from an authentic perspective. If our “young invincibles” didn’t trust news sources or medical professionals perhaps they would grasp the severity of this virus from people who look like them; people who previously shared the same concerns only to have COVID shake up their world. With less than two weeks until production, CHWA went in search of real survivors willing to spread the word that vaccination was safe and effective for everyone. The team miraculously found five people whose true testimonies were not only moving but powerful enough to deliver the message that COVID is a real threat to the communities and the people they love, and the vaccine is our best bet for survival.