The California Medical Association (CMA) has joined #ThisIsOurShot, a national grassroots coalition to build vaccine-trust for a COVID-free world by elevating health care voices as trusted messengers through stories, photos and videos using evidence-based messaging. The campaign grew organically as front-line workers turned to social media to document their own experiences receiving COVID vaccines.

“As a doctor, I answer patients’ questions every day,” said La Tanya R. Hines, M.D., a southern California-based obstetrician and gynecologist and leader in the #ThisIsOurShot movement. “But as a vaccine recipient, I have a very personal experience that I can share as well. I had questions. I had doubts. I did my research, got my shots and now I want others to also.”

#ThisIsOurShot also advocates for equitable distribution and administration of vaccines to help address historical and culturally specific barriers to vaccine acceptance. In the process, the group is working to empower patients while building deeper trust between patients and their health care providers.

“We know there are deep disparities and inequities throughout our healthcare system. Issues of equitable access and mistrust are not limited to vaccines,” said Dr. Hines. “By working to strengthen that trust through vaccine distribution, we believe we can create lasting changes in the way we talk about, prioritize and deliver health care to all Americans.”

#ThisIsOurShot is also working to develop a parallel Spanish-language campaign, #VacunateYa.

“Los latinos como parte de los trabajadores de primera línea, hemos sacrificado tanto para mantener nuestras comunidades abiertas mientras nos exponemos y a nuestras familias al COVID. También desgraciadamente tenemos acceso inconsistente a la atención médica. Y no podemos olvidar que hasta la fecha hemos tenido menos acceso de tener acceso a las vacunas a comparación a otros grupos comunitarios”, dijo el Dr. Ilan Shapiro, Pediatra y director médico bilingüe de Educación para la Salud y Bienestar en Los Ángeles y el condado de Orange. “Debemos abordar todas estas barreras que hacen que mantenerse saludable sea un desafío en nuestras comunidades. #VacunateYa busca garantizar que la falta de acceso a información sobre las vacunas COVID no se convierta en una barrera más para la equidad en salud".

CMA will provide #ThisIsOurShot with in-kind support to administer the campaign, and Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) serves as the fiscal sponsor to facilitate and manage #ThisIsOurShot donations.

Learn more at thisisourshot.info, and PHC encourages health care providers to join and donate to the campaign, share your story, access resources and connect on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (#ThisIsOurShot).