Fox News airs PSA telling viewers ‘get the vaccine’

Fox News debuted a new public service announcement Wednesday night encouraging viewers of the nation’s top-rated cable news network to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. 

“America, we’re in this together,” Steve Doocy, a co-host of “Fox & Friends” says as the ad opens, before it cuts to daytime host Harris Faulkner, who says “and if you can, get the vaccine.” 

The PSA then directs viewers to a link on the FoxNews.com homepage where people can locate and register for coronavirus vaccines near them. 

The 10-second pro-vaccination message debuted during Wednesday’s edition of “Special Report with Bret Baier” and is slated to run over the next several days during both daytime and prime-time programming on the network. 

Fox News has faced increased pressure in recent days to promote vaccines as the delta variant of the coronavirus rips through the nation, and public health experts warning the vast majority of people currently sick or dying from coronavirus are unvaccinated. 

On Monday, several prominent daytime and prime-time hosts encouraged their viewers to get vaccinated against the virus. 

“Well, here’s the thing. And one of the CDC officials said yesterday, look, the pandemic right now is really just with people who have not been vaccinated. Ninety-nine percent of the people who died have not been vaccinated. What they are trying to do is make sure that all of the people who have not been vaccinated get vaccinated,” Doocy said that morning on “Fox & Friends.”

Sean Hannity, who hosts one of the network’s top prime-time shows, also pleaded with his audience to “please take COVID seriously.” 

“I can’t say it enough,” Hannity said. “Enough people have died. We don’t need any more death.”

Other prime-time hosts at Fox such as Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham have claimed they are not anti-vaccination but have also questioned the safety and necessity of vaccines to protect against the virus. 

On Tuesday, CNN reported that top brass at Fox have recently held talks with officials in the White House communications office about how the network should cover coronavirus vaccines. 

Fox said the report was not true, and the White House denied that any “high-level” discussions took place.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden’s administration “understands the importance of reaching Fox’s audience about the COVID-19 vaccines and their benefits. And like we are with all of you here today, we of course are in regular contact and we also make efforts to have officials out on a range of networks to talk about COVID-19.”