Milwaukee, Wis. – (Sept. 10, 2024) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Risk Less. Do More. campaign partnered with the HBCU Tailgate Tour to increase awareness and access to vaccines that protect against severe illnesses from influenza (flu) and COVID-19. The HBCU Tailgate Tour, which celebrated the culture of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), visited eight campuses throughout the country during the fall of 2024.
Kicking off at Norfolk State University on Friday, Sept. 13, the HBCU Tailgate Tour hosted vaccine activations, where fans, students, and alumni could get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines, as well as health resources and educational materials.
“It’s important to remember that health is wealth,” said Kenneth Washington, sports marketing coordinator for the HBCU Tailgate Tour. “I was honored the HBCU Tailgate Tour helped educate and empower our community with research-based health information and access to vaccines that prevent serious illness.”
Respiratory viruses hospitalized over 800,000 people during the fall and winter of 2023. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black adults were more likely than Latino and White adults to be hospitalized for flu or COVID-19 at the peak of the 2023–2024 respiratory virus season.
“Respiratory illness usually surge during colder weather and can cause severe disease, hospitalization, and even death,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Jeffery A. Nesbit. “The goal of the Risk Less. Do More. campaign was to increase confidence in the vaccines that play an important role in preventing severe illness and to provide the information that everyone needs to make the decision to get vaccinated this fall and winter.”
In addition to on-site vaccination activations, the tour stops featured music, live DJs, health and wellness seminars (at select locations), on-site healthy food samples, and health education resources.
“Risk Less. Do More. was a crucial element of a multilayered response to encourage people to get vaccinated so they could keep doing more of what they loved,” said May Malik, senior advisor for public education campaigns at HHS. “The campaign worked closely with federal agencies, as well as national and local partners, to amplify and extend the reach of the campaign.”
The 2024 HBCU Tailgate Tour included stops at the following locations:
- Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va., on Sept. 13 and 14
- Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala., on Oct. 11 and 12
- Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., on Oct. 18 and 19
- Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Ala., on Oct. 25 and 26
- North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., on Nov. 1 and 2
- Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 8 and 9
- Bayou Classic in New Orleans, La., on Nov. 29 and 30
- MLK HBCU Invitational in Greenville, S.C., on Jan. 18 and 19
Visit cdc.gov/RiskLessDoMore to learn more about respiratory viruses, their risk factors, and disease prevention.
About Risk Less. Do More. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Pan Respiratory Virus (PRV) Public Education Campaign (PEC), Risk Less. Do More. sought to inform the public about influenza (flu), COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines.
The campaign aimed to motivate higher uptake of flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines during the 2024–2025 season, reducing the public health burden of respiratory viruses for individuals, families, communities, and the nation. Additionally, the campaign aimed to increase public confidence in flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines; cultivate vaccine literacy; and enhance awareness of vaccine accessibility, especially within vulnerable communities. For more information, visit RiskLessDoMore.hhs.gov.
About the HBCU Tailgate Tour
The HBCU Tailgate Tour was an experiential tailgate celebration of HBCU culture launched in 2018. It was the longest-running HBCU Tour in the United States, entering its sixth season during the fall of 2024. The HBCU Tour was founded by the Leon Frank Agency, an HBCU partnerships and activation company currently working with more than 14 HBCU campuses, three national HBCU events, and 14 HBCU alumni associations across the country. For more information, please visit hbcutailgatetour.com.
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