Cross Canada Coalition Launches Campaign to Encourage People to Get Vaccinated as Soon as They Can

The message is simple: the faster we all do our part and get vaccinated, the faster we can all get back together. This is how we get our lives and businesses back to normal and the business community is eager to help assure Canadians that vaccines are safe and effective. We'll all get to the finish line faster by working together.

— Perrin Beatty, President and CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

The volunteer Task Group is co-chaired by Bruce Anderson of Abacus Data & spark*advocacy, and Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, and welcomes any organization or individual that wants to help use the creative materials the campaign will make available to reach people and encourage vaccinations.  

Vaccination is an important tool in the fight against COVID-19. Innovative initiatives like "Faster Together" bring organizations together to help encourage Canadians to get vaccinated when it's their turn, protecting themselves and their communities, and helping us get back together, faster.

— The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health

The latest research by Abacus Data shows that 21% of Canadians are hesitant about getting a COVID-19 vaccination. This is the principal target for the messages Faster Together is putting into a free-to-use digital warehouse. spark*advocacy has donated the creative and production time for the campaign and Abacus Data has provided research on the same basis. The project benefited from early encouragement and counsel from the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, the Canadian Bankers Association and BIOTECanada as well as officials working in the public sector who are deeply involved in these matters.

Faster Together is doing important work to encourage more Canadians to get vaccinated. Every action we can take to protect ourselves and fight this pandemic, brings us closer to seeing our friends and family, and fully re-opening our economy. Small businesses are doing their part to flatten the curve, and keep their employees safe through workplace safety and rapid screening measures, but it will take all Canadians working together to ensure we re-open and stay open. Let's get this done so we can build back faster and better

— The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade

According to Bruce Anderson: "We welcome everyone who wants to be part of this volunteer effort – it's easy and makes a difference". According to Hassan Yussuff: "Getting vaccinated is the quickest way for all of us to get back together safely and return our economy to health."

ABOUT FASTER TOGETHER
Overcoming vaccine hesitancy to speed the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. 

This is a voluntary effort of a wide variety of people and organizations working together to promote COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and help speed a recovery from this pandemic. Creative services have been donated by spark*advocacy and research support provided by Abacus Data. Bruce Anderson (spark and Abacus) along with Hassan Yussuff, President of the Canadian Labour Congress have been convening a group effort. The current list of participants can be found on our website and is expanding regularly: www.fastertogether.ca