COVID-19 vaccines had been available for a year, yet the rapid spread of the Omicron variant meant rural, unvaccinated, ultra-conservative parts of America, like the Permian Basin region of West Texas and East New Mexico, were dying at higher rates. Our research uncovered that those curious about the vaccine were more afraid of social rejection from anti-vax friends and family members than the vaccine’s side effects. Instead of using scare tactics and factual, science-based vaccine campaigns (which had failed in the past), the Permian Strategic Partnership, a nonprofit supporting communities across the region, spoke to those standing in their way: the anti-vaxxers.