There have been calls for local COVID-19 vaccine advocacy ever since the Warren County Commissioners rejected an idea to fund a promotional campaign via American Rescue Plan funds.

Such a campaign is now underway.

A group of local government, hospital and community officials have launched the COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Campaign which “aims at increasing vaccine awareness, combatting misinformation, and expanding utilization of COVID-19 vaccines,” according to a statement.

“We believe very strongly that local voices need to carry the message conveying the fact that the vaccine is safe and effective,” Warren County Commissioner Jeff Eggleston said, “and we need a higher vaccination rate if we’re going to get past this pandemic.”

The goal of the effort is to fundraise and promote awareness – a website is set to launch today at WarrenVax.com “which will be the hub for vaccine information and networking. A component of that site will be fundraising, as the group gathers resources for the effort,” the statement said. The advertising portion is expected to kick off next week.

People who want to donate to support the effort can go to WarrenVAX.com and donate online or they can mail Warren County Development Association, C/O WarrenVAX.com, 308 Market Street, Warren, Pa., 16365.

Anyone with questions is asked to email info@warrenvax.com or call Commissioner Eggleston at (814) 584-2203.

See Wednesday’s Times Observer for a full story.