Government of Canada launches Ask the Experts campaign to encourage vaccine uptake

Across Canada, more and more people are getting vaccinated. As of June 5, more than 70% of people 12 years of age and older in Canada have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and provinces and territories are accelerating eligibility for second doses. To build on this momentum, the Government of Canada is taking steps to reduce barriers to vaccination and close the gap among populations with lower vaccine uptake.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced the launch of the Ask the Experts advertising campaign. This campaign features short videos by trusted experts answering some of the most common questions people have about the COVID-19 vaccines. These videos will encourage vaccine uptake by providing people across Canada with credible COVID-19 vaccine information so they can make informed choices.

These experts are answering some common questions that Canadians have. To make sure that Canadians have the information they need to make informed decisions about their health, we’ve created the Ask the Experts campaign so you can hear directly from healthcare professionals and other experts about what vaccination means and does.

Canadians are excited to get vaccinated and are doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. To amplify these stories and voices, the Public Health Agency of Canada wants to hear from you, on your reasons for getting vaccinated, by joining the #MyWhy campaign on social media. Your story matters – and by sharing your experience, you can help motivate those around you to get their first or second dose. Vaccines are safe and highly effective, and will help us get back to the activities, and people, we miss and love. 

Quotes

“Vaccines are a very important tool to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that more and more Canadians are able to get vaccinated, it is important that everyone does their part. This small action makes a big difference – for you and those in your community. With the Ask the Experts campaign, credible experts will answer questions Canadians may have about these vaccines, to encourage uptake across the country.”

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Health

“Having safe and effective vaccines along with informed, confident and motivated people getting vaccinated are key to Canada’s success for widespread and long term control of COVID-19. Through the Ask the Experts campaign, trusted Canadian health experts listen and provide answers to your important questions about COVID-19 vaccination that are fundamental to vaccine confidence and informed decision making for you and your loved ones!”

Dr. Theresa Tam
Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada

Quick facts

• The Ask the Experts campaign will run from June 15, 2021, to July 31, 2021. The ads will appear on TV, web sites, social media and in search engine marketing. Through a series of videos, the campaign answers a variety of questions such as the importance of getting the second dose of the vaccine, why people who are young and healthy need to get vaccinated, and how the vaccines work. 
• The Ask the Experts campaign complements the Ripple Effect campaign, which runs until July 4, 2021, and is intended to remind Canadians about the collective vaccination effort required to see a reduction in restrictions and public health measures. Since its launch, the Ripple Effect campaign has had more than 105 million impressions.