02 Sep Kansas Chamber Partners on Stop the Spread Kansas Campaign

The Kansas Hospital Association, Kansas Medical Society, Kansas Chamber and Kansas Farm Bureau are continuing their public awareness campaign, Stop the Spread Kansas, with TV and radio spots encouraging residents to protect themselves with the COVID-19 vaccine.

In one advertisement, sixth-generation farmer and rancher Sarah Bowser explains how she protects her cattle with vaccines, and she’s chosen to protect herself, her family and her community by getting the COVID-19 vaccine. In the other segment, farmer Jim Sipes says he got vaccinated after losing a family member to the disease. The videos, along with additional resources, are available for download at www.StoptheSpreadKansas.org.

“Hospitals across Kansas are facing significant capacity and staffing constraints,” said KHA President and CEO Chad Austin. “Vaccination and mitigation efforts taken by Kansans are critical to keeping Kansans healthy and out of the hospital.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for the prevention of the disease in individuals aged 16 and older. That means the vaccine has received the same scrutiny and testing as other approved inoculations for diseases like polio, measles, mumps and more.

“If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, contact your personal physician,” said Rachelle Colombo, Kansas Medical Society executive director. “Kansas physicians get vaccinated and recommend that Kansans get vaccinated to protect their own health, to protect family and friends’ health, and to prevent hospitalization due to severe COVID-19 illness. The shots are free and widely available. Call your physician today. Working together, we can stop the spread of the virus and get back to healthy living.”

Widespread vaccination not only helps reduce the spread of COVID-19, but it also significantly reduces the chance of dying from the disease.

“All of us are ready to put COVID-19 behind us and one way to do that is to get vaccinated,” said Kansas Farm Bureau President Rich Felts. “Farmers and ranchers rely on science, and the data shows the vaccine can help us stop the spread and keep us from getting deathly ill.”

The vaccine is a safe and effective way for businesses, employees and customers to feel safe, stay healthy and protect those around them.

“The Kansas business community is committed to the health and safety of employees and customers,” said Alan Cobb, president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber. “In addition to having requirements and protocols in place regarding facemasks and other measures that allow for social distancing and additional cleaning, many companies recognize the positive impact of the vaccine and are asking their workers to get vaccinated. We encourage all Kansans to take these voluntary actions to do their part to help protect those most at risk.”

The campaign continues to target four actions citizens should take to help curb the spread of the virus and protect those who aren’t yet eligible for the vaccine. They are:

• Get vaccinated
• Wear a mask
• Wash your hands often
• Keep a safe distance

For more information and resources visit StopTheSpreadKansas.org

Posted September 2, 2021