The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has purchased newspaper ads with pro-vaccine talking points so family members can encourage their loved ones over Thanksgiving dinner to get the COVID shot.
In a press release sent out earlier this week, MDH announced it has bought full-page ads in the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Mankato Free Press, St. Cloud Times, Mesabi Tribune, and Winona Daily News.
The ads, MDH says, will equip Minnesotans with “strategies” on how to deal with un-jabbed family members. They’ll also provide tips on how to have “productive — rather than divisive — holiday gathering discussions” about the shot.
MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm said in a press release that “holiday gatherings give us the opportunity to tell our loved ones we care — and this year, that means encouraging our unvaccinated friends and family to roll up their sleeves and get their COVID-19 vaccine.”
The Department of Health also announced it’s launching a website called “COVID-19 vaccine conversations.” The site will give Minnesotans additional so-called “discussion tips.”
The MDH press release announcing the ads contained supportive remarks from Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. It also listed six “simple” suggestions for talking about the COVID shot:
- Start from a place of care
- Listen to concerns with empathy
- Use open-ended questions to explore opinions
- Ask permission to share information
- Help loved ones find reasons to get vaccinated through shared values
- Help make their vaccine happen
Stephen Kokx
Stephen Kokx, M.A., is a journalist for LifeSiteNews. He previously worked for the Archdiocese of Chicago under the late Francis Cardinal George. A former community college instructor, Stephen has written and spoken extensively about Catholic social teaching and politics. His essays have appeared in such outlets as Catholic Family News and CatholicVote.org.
