Whether it's family you haven't seen in months or an event you never want to miss again, we all have a reason to get the shot.

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—Reverend Artis

Reverend Artis calls the shot “an act of care for other people,” no different than feeding the hungry or standing with the unjustly treated. “Get informed. You need to have a reason why.”

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—Heba A.

This VCU Health Patient Experience Coordinator says the vaccine will allow her to visit family in Egypt, whom she worries about. “We all have to do our part. Just get it. Keep each other safe.”

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—Coach Mike Rhoades

Coach Rhoades calls the togetherness that’s been taken from us all “a void.” He got the shot to keep people around him out of danger – and back into the arena cheering on the VCU Rams.

More reasons that matter

Questions about COVID-19 vaccines?

To help you easily understand how COVID-19 vaccines work, our experts have developed a list of resources that show how they work — and why it matters.

  1. Vaccine myths: Facts vs. fiction

    Read an expert’s response to vaccine rumors you may have seen online or heard from friends.

  2. COVID-19 vaccine: Is it really safe?

    Safety and efficacy are always top of mind when it comes to vaccines. We explain why you can trust COVID-19 vaccines.

  3. COVID-19 vaccine: How do I get it?

    Here we answer common questions about when the general public can receive the vaccine.

See our other resources

Why this matters to VCU Health

Our mission has always been to preserve and restore health for all the people of Virginia. And there’s never been a time when this mission has mattered more.

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve worked to make clinical trials accessible in our region and across our state and care for some of the most critical COVID-19 cases in the nation.

And now, as we observe national trends, research has shown that some groups are less likely to want COVID-19 vaccines.

In our efforts to reduce health disparities, we take it as part of our mission to inform  and encourage our communities in coordination with the Virginia Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.

And that’s where this campaign comes in. It earnestly acknowledges the frustrations of our current situation – an ongoing public health crisis.

While this message does come from VCU Health, the heart of this message resides in the millions of Virginians, many of them our neighbors and friends, who are choosing to get the vaccine to protect, contribute and get back to the things that truly matter.

We thank everyone in our communities for taking time to ask questions, learn and get information straight from the leading sources.

Meet the champions who participated in the campaign:

Get vaccinated. It matters.

If standing up to COVID-19 matters to you, here’s how to get vaccinated.

Get vaccinated