WhatsApp and the World Health Organization (WHO) have joined forces to promote global COVID-19 vaccination programs with a new free sticker pack, dubbed "Vaccines For All."
WhatsApp's New "Vaccines for All" Stickers
If you've been wondering what could inspire people who are on the fence to get vaccinated, these new stickers just might get some of them off the fence.
Featuring cartoony images, they are a "fun and creative way" for WhatsApp users to "connect and privately express the joy, relief, and hope" they feel about the possibilities the COVID-19 vaccines offer, according to the announcement on the WhatsApp website.
The new stickers are also a nice way for WhatsApp users to show their appreciation for the healthcare workers without whom it would've been impossible to fight the pandemic.
WhatsApp also said the following:
We want to help governments and international organizations connect as many people around the world to vaccine information and services as possible, especially those in hard-to-reach places or in marginalized groups. We've also waived the fees that come from sending messages through our WhatsApp Business API.
The new sticker pack is available right now for all WhatsApp users globally.
How to Get Your "Vaccines for All" Stickers
To get the new stickers, launch WhatsApp on your iPhone or Android device and choose any conversation from the chat list, then hit the Stickers button positioned on the righthand side within the text entry field. This will show you all your stickers. Now tap the "+" button to open the Stickers Store with the new "Vaccines for All" sticker pack listed at the very top.
To download the stickers for free, just hit that icon with a downward-pointing arrow.
Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccinations
This isn't the first time the Facebook-owned messaging app has partnered with the WHO. Last year, for example, WhatsApp and the WHO released a COVID-themed "Together At Home" pack of stickers to encourage folks to stay at home during lockdowns.
According to estimates by health experts, about 50% to 80% of people need to receive the COVID- 19 vaccine before herd immunity is reached. However, many governments around the world are finding it increasingly difficult to persuade people to get their shot.
And with unwanted bad press surrounding the AstraZeneca vaccine---which many folks suspect could be associated with an increased overall risk of developing blood clots---humans as a species need all the help we can get to turn this awful pandemic around and get back to our "normal" lives as soon as humanly possible.
With that in mind, releasing fun stickers for the world's most-used messaging app with the hope of encouraging as many people as possible to take one of the various COVID-19 vaccinations is certainly a valid way to help combat the current pandemic.