How Advocates Are Fighting COVID-19 Concerns in Latino, Latina Communities

As more COVID-19 vaccines become available and the number of shots going into arms is ramping up, so too have efforts across Southern California to bring vaccine awareness and assuage concerns about getting the shot, especially in some communities of color where both vulnerability to COVID-19 and hesitancy about getting the vaccine are high.    

As part of its vaccine awareness efforts, Los Angeles County has partnered with more than 50 community-based organizations who have been doing outreach in communities across the county that are disproportionately affected by the virus. And as the Wall Street Journal reports, one area of focus of this outreach has been in some Latino communities, particularly among agricultural workers, where vaccine myths about government tracking and deportation can fuel hesitancy to get the vaccine.

Today on AirTalk, we’ll look at some of the strategies these outreach workers and organizations are employing to fight vaccine hesitancy in Latino communities and find out what’s working.

GUESTS:

Conrado Bárzaga, M.D., CEO of Desert Healthcare District & Foundation,  a nonprofit organization in Palm Springs that connects Coachella Valley residents to health and wellness services and programs through philanthropy, health facilities, information and community education, and public policy

Marisela Blancas, coordinator of community health programs at Vision y Compromiso, one of the organizations partnering with the Los Angeles County Community Equity Fund to do outreach on COVID-19 prevention and vaccination in underserved communities; she is also a “promotora,” a community health liaison that does outreach and connects residents in the area she serves with health and social services, and during the pandemic has been focused on vaccine hesitancy in Latino communities

As more COVID-19 vaccines become available and the number of shots going into arms is ramping up, so too have efforts across Southern California to bring vaccine awareness and assuage concerns about getting the shot, especially in some communities of color where both vulnerability to COVID-19 and hesitancy about getting the vaccine are high.    

As part of its vaccine awareness efforts, Los Angeles County has partnered with more than 50 community-based organizations who have been doing outreach in communities across the county that are disproportionately affected by the virus. And as the Wall Street Journal reports, one area of focus of this outreach has been in some Latino communities, particularly among agricultural workers, where vaccine myths about government tracking and deportation can fuel hesitancy to get the vaccine.

Today on AirTalk, we’ll look at some of the strategies these outreach workers and organizations are employing to fight vaccine hesitancy in Latino communities and find out what’s working.

GUESTS:

Conrado Bárzaga, M.D., CEO of Desert Healthcare District & Foundation,  a nonprofit organization in Palm Springs that connects Coachella Valley residents to health and wellness services and programs through philanthropy, health facilities, information and community education, and public policy

Marisela Blancas, coordinator of community health programs at Vision y Compromiso, one of the organizations partnering with the Los Angeles County Community Equity Fund to do outreach on COVID-19 prevention and vaccination in underserved communities; she is also a “promotora,” a community health liaison that does outreach and connects residents in the area she serves with health and social services, and during the pandemic has been focused on vaccine hesitancy in Latino communities