Tyler Perry partners with state in vaccine education outreach series

The California Department of Public Health is launching a series of public education videos in partnership with actor, director and producer Tyler Perry in an effort to encourage state residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

The state and Perry’s production company, Tyler Perry Studios, will release a series of videos this month that address frequently asked questions about the vaccines, including how to know they’re safe and how mRNA vaccines work.

Perry said in a statement:

“What I want to do is give people the facts. … There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and my hope is that this content will give people the answers they need to make their own decisions based on the truth.”

Perry and state health officials announced the partnership Wednesday as part of the state’s “Let’s Get to ImmUnity” campaign, which is intended to educate state residents about the vaccines’ safety and efficacy.

The partnership with Perry is also part of an outreach effort for the state’s Black communities, specifically.

CDPH Director and state Public Health Officer Dr. Tomas Aragon said:

“The vaccines continue to be our best tool to put an end to this deadly pandemic. … We are pleased to partner with Tyler Perry to help communicate the facts to more people — COVID-19 vaccines are effective, safe, and save lives.”

As of Thursday, 82.5 percent of state residents age 12 and up have received at least one vaccine dose, while 67.4 percent are fully vaccinated, according to data from the CDPH and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.