YouTube is launching the first chapter of a public service announcement (PSA) series in partnership with the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine to encourage people to get informed about the vaccine and also remind us of all that we have to look forward to in a post-pandemic world. The campaign is kicking off in the U.S. today and roll out to other countries in the weeks to come and coincide with the local vaccine availability timelines.

Why does it matter?

The pandemic has been a time of great uncertainty, fear, and anxiety for so many people, so it’s natural for people to be cautious about another aspect of the pandemic: multiple new vaccines. In fact, the theme of this past year — if it had to be summed up in a single word — could be “caution.” And that’s a good thing. Caution has saved lives. People have been cautious when it comes to protecting their health, the health of their loved ones, and the health of their communities amidst the pandemic. The next step in that caution is trusting the science and listening to the advice of health authorities about getting vaccinated so that we can continue to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities for the long term.

Hearing inaccurate information can breed doubt in someone’s mind and that’s why trusted scientific and medical organizations are partnering with YouTube to make sure credible information is reaching people in accessible and culturally relevant ways.

The videos for YouTube’s PSA campaign will run across YouTube, as well as on television, radio and paid social posts through July — with the goal of reaching Americans between the ages of 18 to 34, a key demographic to help control the spread of the virus. To watch the full series of PSA videos, and additional content from local health authorities, visit youtube.com/vaccineinfo.

That series will feature diverse voices who bring unique perspectives and experiences. Specifically, YouTube is pairing health experts from around the world with everyone from music artists to comedians to fashion icons to FarmTubers to help reach users in new ways and unearth the hard questions around COVID vaccine safety and efficacy.

Let’s all get informed and listen to the experts urging us to get vaccinated so we can get back to what we love.

The context

A year ago, the idea that things could return to normal felt distant – maybe even impossible. But since then, COVID-19 vaccines have been developed and are now becoming more readily available every day, such as in the U.S. where vaccines are now available to all 16+. The light at the end of the tunnel is starting to feel closer…