'Let them know it's safe; let them decide,' Omaha doctor working to vaccinate Hispanic, Latino communities
He's working alongside the National Hispanic Medical Association’s Vaccinate For All campaign.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Latinos are 1.3 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19, and 2.3 times more likely to die from the disease.
"This is a challenge we saw throughout the pandemic for multiple factors," Alba said. Many Hispanic and Latino communities have multi-generations living in the home, often in contact with kid and elder people.
Besides increased susceptibility, getting healthcare to treat or prevent COVID-19 is also a challenge. He listed cost, language barriers, and the quality of care as some issues. Alba said the biggest challenge, though, is combating misinformation.
Some common and false myths Alba and other doctors are fighting include: that it can affect fertility, that it isn't safe, or that a mask is sufficient. Doctors hope people learn information such as that initial vaccines are 95% effective and without serious side effects.
The campaign 'Vaccinate for All' aims to build trust in communities to break down these barriers. A few days ago, for example, they held the Community Soccer and Vaccine Clinic to reach communities. Alba noted communication is key to the success of efforts like this.
"The point is we need to know how to deliver these tools to the community," Alba said. "We have vaccines but now we need to land them to the communities [...] let them know it is safe and ultimately, let them decide."
