Carthage, IL – Wednesday, June 02, 2021 – With COVID-19 vaccines more readily available, Memorial Hospital is encouraging vaccination among the communities it serves, especially considering the vaccine hesitancy still prevalent since the vaccine rollout began. Memorial Hospital is communicating a strong, unifying message—“There’s Unity in Immunity”—as part of a vaccination campaign led by the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA).

 

Raigan Brown, Chief Nursing Officer at Memorial Hospital, states, “Participating in the Unity in Immunity campaign is so important to us because we are committed to keeping our patients, coworkers, friends, and entire community safe. The more people who choose to be vaccinated, the quicker we will be able to resume normal activities and regain some normalcy in our communities. I have seen first hand the devasting effects of COVID-19 and that’s why I am so passionate about the project and bringing awareness to the community on the importance of receiving a vaccine.”

 

“IHA is deeply committed to the health of all Illinoisans and to helping restore lives, communities and our state, all of which have been deeply impacted by the pandemic,” said IHA President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi.

 

“We know that vaccines are safe and effective,” Wilhelmi said. “We are doing our part to help convey that message, especially to hard-hit communities of color and rural communities, by working hand in hand with our members on this new campaign.”

 

“There’s Unity in Immunity” is a statewide, collaborative public service awareness campaign to:

• Encourage vaccination to help achieve herd immunity in the summer.

• Address vaccine hesitancy, especially in communities of color that have been hardest hit by COVID-19 and in rural communities across Illinois.

• Build confidence in the vaccines by dispelling fears and misinformation.

• Share messages from vaccinated individuals to communicate the value and benefits of COVID-19 vaccines.

 

Memorial Hospital is encouraging individuals to sign up to receive a COVID-19 vaccination by going to their website, mhtlc.org, and clicking on the button in the upper left corner that says, “Sign Up for the COVID-19 Vaccine”. Individuals can then choose which COVID-19 vaccine they would like to receive. 

 

Encouraging vaccination is critical: If enough individuals are vaccinated, 100,000 deaths or more can be prevented. COVID-19 vaccines are up to 95% effective, even more than the annual flu vaccine, which is typically 40% to 60% effective.

Memorial Hospital would like to remind the community to continue taking precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to wear a mask in public places and practice social distancing whenever possible. Individuals should call Memorial’s COVID-19 hotline at (217) 357-0617 if they think that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 or if they are experiencing ANY symptoms related to COVID-19, which include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever or chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, the new loss of sense of taste and/or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.

Memorial Hospital is a 501(c)(3) non-profit critical access hospital, which employs over 250 individuals, offers emergency, surgical, imaging (x-ray), laboratory, obstetrics, six clinics throughout the region, specialty clinics, and more. Memorial Hospital has served the residents of Hancock County and surrounding areas since 1950. For more information, find us on the web at www.mhtlc.org  

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