Nationwide — Sports, community, culture, and health will be celebrated this fall as the HBCU Tailgate Tour highlights the new Risk Less. Do More. campaign from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This multi-campus tour is an experiential celebration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) culture that will make eight stops at college campuses throughout the country this football season.The HBCU Tailgate Tour will host vaccine activations, where adults can get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines, as well as more information, to help prevent serious illnesses from flu and COVID-19 among fans, students, and alumni this fall.
Respiratory viruses hospitalized over 800,000 people last fall and winter. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black adults were more likely than Latino and White adults to be hospitalized for flu or COVID-19 at the peak of the 2023–2024 respiratory virus season.
“Risk Less. Do More. will be a crucial element of a multilayered response to encourage people to get vaccinated so they can keep doing more of what they love,” said May Malik, senior advisor for public education campaigns at HHS. “The campaign is working closely with federal agencies, as well as national and local partners, to amplify and extend the reach of the campaign.”
“It’s important to remember that health is wealth,” said Kenneth Washington, sports marketing coordinator for the HBCU Tailgate Tour. “I’m honored the HBCU Tailgate Tour will help educate and empower our community with research-based health information and access to vaccines that prevent serious illness.”
The tour stops will feature:
• Live DJ and music
• Complimentary games and activities
• Health and wellness seminars (at select locations)
• On-site vaccination activations
• On-site healthy food samples
• Health education resources
The 2024 HBCU Tailgate Tour includes stops at the following locations:
• Austin Area Urban League HBCU Live Experience Football Classic in Hutto, Texas, on Oct. 5 and 6
• Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala., on Oct. 11 and 12
• Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., on Oct. 18 and 19
• Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Ala., on Oct. 25 and 26
• North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., on Nov. 1 and 2
• Bayou Classic in New Orleans, La., on Nov. 29 and 30
• MLK HBCU Invitational in Greenville, S.C., on Jan. 18 and 19
For more information about the campaign, visit RiskLessDoMore.hhs.gov and visit cdc.gov/RiskLessDoMore to learn more about respiratory viruses, their risk factors, and disease prevention.