Boston Launches Multilingual Hope Campaign to Boost COVID-19 Vaccination Equity

BOSTON — July 22, 2026 — Boston Mayor Kim Janey launched the multilingual "Hope Campaign" to drive COVID-19 vaccine uptake in communities of color as the city reported a 39 percent week-over-week rise in cases. Speaking alongside Chief of Health Marty Martinez at a city press conference, Janey cited 1,353 COVID-19 deaths among Boston residents and said that as of March 30, 35.7 percent of Bostonians over 16 — roughly 207,000 people — had received at least one dose, with close to 80 percent of seniors over 65 vaccinated. The campaign features multilingual billboards, social media, and print ads and is backed by a $1.5 million vaccine equity grant initiative, now accepting applications from nonprofits. "Every dose of the COVID-19 vaccine brings us one step closer to putting the pandemic behind us," Janey said. Martinez noted the city's positivity rate climbed to 5.2 percent but said hospitalizations had not yet reflected the increase.