Your mom called; she wants to know if you’ve been vaccinated or boosted yet. Okay, so maybe not your mom, but the moms of several celebrities—including Zendaya, John David Washington, Alicia Keys, Chris Paul and little-known up-and-comers Malia and Sasha Obama—are urging Americans everywhere to consider not only their own health, but public safety this holiday season, as Omicron will obviously be beating Santa Claus in coming to to town this year.
Per a press release provided to The Root, “Mom-in-Chief” Michelle Obama is starring in a new PSA alongside (in alphabetical order): Sharon Feldstein (mother of Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein), Terria Joseph (Alicia Keys), Patsy Noah (Adam Levine), Robin Paul (Chris Paul), Claire Stoermer (Zendaya) and Pauletta Washington (John David Washington). Together, they’ve joined world-renowned sketch comedy brand The Second City for the movie trailer-inspired “Get Vaccinated - Mom Said So” PSA, which debuted Monday—because there’s no pressure like mom pressure.
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The Second City, the world’s premier brand in improvisation and sketch-based comedy entertainment and education, Made to Save, a national grassroots effort to ensure communities hardest hit by the pandemic have access to the COVID-19 vaccines and accurate, timely information and YourMomCares, a kids’ mental health and wellbeing nonprofit, released a new public service announcement featuring former First Lady Michelle Obama and celebrity moms that encourages parents and their children ages five through adulthood to get vaccinated now, particularly as omicron cases are on the rise.
“We as Moms know how powerful our opinions can be,” said Feldstein, also the founder of YourMomCares. “In a time when people are confused, especially kids, about who they can trust and what they should do, kids know they can trust their Moms. Moms are always going to weigh the options and choose the safest and best one to protect their children. This is why we felt it was absolutely necessary for us to use our collective voices and opinions to let everyone know they should go out and get the vaccine. Period.”
Though the spot includes plenty of mom jokes (womp-womp), it also includes some candor and sincere empathy about vaccine hesitancy. “I was very reluctant to get the vaccine,” admits Pauletta Washington. “But then I was convinced. I got it, and now, I feel free.”
“As a parent, physician, and senior advisor to Made to Save, I know how important it is to demonstrate—like this special PSA video does—the value in talking to your friends and family about getting vaccinated against COVID-19,” says Dr. Alice Chen, Senior Advisor at Made to Save, a “national coalition [that] empowers trusted messengers to ensure that everyone has equitable access to vaccines and to information they can trust.”
While we know vaccines can’t entirely prevent against breakthrough cases of COVID-19, we also know they significantly reduce mortality rates and the more serious, long-term symptoms of the infection. They also provide much-needed antibodies that not only protect you, but those around you who might not be vaccine eligible; prevention worth considering when it comes to loved ones who are especially vulnerable to infection.
“Faith over fear; that’s my motto,” says Robin Paul. “You don’t have to live in fear once you get the vaccination.”
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