Why get involved ? It is clear that vaccines save lives . Advocating for childhood immunization programs helps give every child a shot at life no matter where they live . Nurses are called to advocate for the communities we serve . As the largest healthcare workforce in the world , our opinions are valued .
We need to let our congress members know that vaccines are the most cost-effective public health tools . COVID-19 has taught us that disease anywhere is a threat everywhere . With increased global travel , a disease can spread to every corner of the globe in just 36 hours ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 2020 ). In addition to helping children , U . S . support for global vaccine programs contributes to controlling the spread of disease .
In my own experience , I have really enjoyed being a Shot @ Life Champion . My voice matters . I believe that my representatives are more likely to fund global vaccines when approached by constituents like me . While supporting a great cause , I ’ ve gained friends who share a common passion . I ’ ve also improved my own leadership and advocacy skills and used them to increase awareness for other issues .
What can you do to help ? 1 . Contact your representatives . Ask your members of Congress to fully fund global vaccine programs . You can do this by filling out the petition on
shotatlife . org / petition , which will send an email directly to your representatives . The pre-scripted emails contain talking points and specific funding asks for vaccine programs targeting efforts such as polio and measles elimination . There ’ s also space to personalize your letter to include why this issue is important to you . Or , simply text VACCINES to 30644 and fill out the form on your mobile device . If you ’ re a chapter leader , share information with your members and allow time during a monthly meeting for members to sign the petition .
You can also directly call your members of Congress . If you ’ re not sure who your representatives are , you can find them here :
www . house . gov / representatives / find-your-representative Use the Shot @ Life call-in number ( 202-902-6614 ), and ask the operator to be connected , or enter your zip code to be patched through to your representative . This call-in number allows the Shot @ Life team to track the number of calls made by vaccine advocates . You ’ ll need to “ rinse and repeat ” for a total of three times to reach your house representative and both senators . Have your talking points ready to speak directly with a staff member or to leave as a voicemail . You can learn more about preparing your talking points by attending the Shot @ Life Champion training ( shotatlife . org / training ).
2 . Be a digital advocate . Use your social media platform to amplify the message and promote awareness of both the problem and the solution . Shot @ Life provides a social media toolkit (
shotatlife . org / social ) that you can use to help you get started .
Ask your followers to sign the petition . Tag your representatives in your posts to let them know that you support the UN Foundation ’ s efforts to reduce vaccine preventable deaths . Remember to keep your posts positive , and use hashtags such as # VaccinesWork to make it easier for others to discover all related posts .
3 . Write a letter to the editor ( LTE ). The opinion and editorial section of newspapers are read widely . Publishing an LTE is an effective advocacy tool to reach a large audience . You can also share your published letter on social media to further extend your reach . The Shot @ Life
advocacy toolkit provides samples and step-by-step guidance on how to write an effective LTE . I ’ ve shared the formula with students in my own program , and many of them have successfully published LTEs in our local paper .
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