Gritty Joins Gov. Wolf To Promote Vaccine: 'Take Your Shot'

PENNSYLVANIA — Hesitancy among a section of the public in Pennsylvania toward the COVID-19 vaccine remains one of the most significant barriers to ending the pandemic, officials say.

The state is pulling out all the stops in its campaign to advocate for the safety and importance of the vaccines. Now, they've onboarded perhaps their most potent weapon yet: world famous Philadelphia Flyers mascot and ombudsman of the underworld, Gritty.

In gesture of unfathomable generosity, the Flyers and Gritty are urging, with kindness, for Pennsylvanians to get their COVID-19 shots on their own. Pennsylvanians, particularly in the Pittsburgh area, probably don't need to take a huge imaginative leap to see Gritty coming for them with a needle in the dark of night.

Gritty's appearance marked the beginning of a partnership between the state, the Flyers, and Penn Medicine, which officials are hopeful will help bring vaccine awareness to more people.

"They're trusted, they're known in the community," Penn's Chief Medical Office, Dr. PJ Brennan said Monday of the Flyers, during a news briefing on the ice at the Wells Fargo Center. Brennan added that he was so excited about the partnership that he tried to hug Gritty at a recent event; the Flyers team had to remind him of social distancing protocols.

Gov. Wolf joined members of Penn Medicine and the Wells Fargo Center on the ice Monday. Gritty gave him an arm bump and presented him with a sticker that he himself had designed.

"Every single Pennsylvanian has a role to play," Wolf said during the briefing, including Gritty.

"Wouldn't it be nice to see more people in the stands?" he added, urging anyone who had not yet signed up for a shot to register.

More than 50 percent of Pennsylvanians have received at least a first shot of the vaccine as of Monday, officials said.