The Latino community has disproportionately felt the burden of COVID-19. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have been higher for Latinos than other groups. “The pandemic has disproportionately hit Latinos throughout the country, who are already at a disadvantage as they are likely to work in front-line jobs and have the highest uninsured rates,” writes Cynthia Silva, according to NBC News. As more Latinos have been hospitalized, healthcare providers have noticed the need for Latino nurses who can provide culturally competent, bilingual services. Unfortunately, less than 6% of nurses are Latino, mostly due to systemic barriers that prevent Latino students from pursuing a career in nursing. Let’s explore the importance of culturally competent healthcare and ...
Like many of us, Norma Cavazos has had her life turned upside down by COVID-19. Many of her family members have gotten sick. Some even died. She’s had to stay at home for over a year now, doing curbside grocery shopping, spending time away from her family. Cavazos can’t wait for the pandemic to end. But when the COVID-19 vaccine first came out, Cavazos didn’t want to get it. She read a few fake news articles that claimed the vaccine would make people with underlying health conditions very sick. Ultimately, after doing more research and talking to her doctors, Cavazos decided to get the vaccine. She’s relieved she did. “It is a load of bricks off my shoulders. I'm more happy. I’m able to hug people,” Cavazos said. Find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you ...
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, states have struggled with what to do when it comes to schools and online learning. In the beginning of the pandemic when not as much was known about the virus, schools were shut down and students were sent home to do virtual learning. But this brought up issues of internet accessibility for rural, low-income families, along with difficulties for parents who suddenly needed to work and provide childcare during the day. As COVID-19 vaccinations have grown and cases are slowly decreasing, many administrators are figuring out what school will look like this fall. “We have to be able to pivot,” said Kaweeda Adams, a superintendent in Albany, NY, according to the Washington Post. Let’s take a look at how safe schools are, what Latino ...
Everyone deserves an equal chance to get a COVID-19 vaccine. But some communities, like Latinos, don’t have as much access or information about the vaccine or are hesitant to get vaccinated. The Nevada Vaccine Equity Collaborative (NVEC) is working to change that. Co-led by Immunize Nevada and the Nevada Minority Health and Equity Coalition, the NVEC is working to promote equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Nevada, particularly among vulnerable communities. “I think as we were kind of creating a response, we knew that we weren't just responding to the actual physical effects of COVID. But just misinformation as well, looking at what, you know, why people weren't getting vaccinated and kind of looking at some of those off the wall reasons and thinking, how are ...
Helen Córdova sabe lo peligroso que es el COVID-19. Ella ha estado trabajando en la primera línea como enfermera de la UCI durante toda la pandemia. “COVID causó definitivamente un gran impacto en la comunidad de atención médica. Había tanta incertidumbre y cosas que no sabíamos sobre el virus”, dijo Córdova. Cuando la vacuna fue autorizada por primera vez por la FDA para uso de emergencia en diciembre de 2020, Córdova fue elegida para ser una de las primeras personas en recibir la vacuna. Pero estaba muy nerviosa y al comienzo no quería vacunarse. “Inicialmente, estaba segura de que no iba a recibir la vacuna. Pensé: 'Fue apresurado, no le tengo confianza'”, dijo Córdova. Pero después de consultar con sus colegas y leer la investigación de los ...
You've probably seen or heard this phrase a lot recently: "We can do this." That's the slogan for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' "We Can Do This" / "Juntos Sí Podemos" COVID-19 Public Education Campaign. This national initiative aims to increase public confidence in uptake of COVID-19 vaccines and other basic prevention measures, such as mask wearing and social distancing. The "We Can Do This" campaign materials are in English, Spanish, and more. The campaign also has a "live" event series that pairs medical experts with prominent influencers to share information to help people feel confident about getting the vaccine. The events occur in the places where people already consume content, including social media, podcasts, and YouTube. The effort is ...
Helen Cordova knows how dangerous COVID-19 is. She’s been working on the frontline as an ICU nurse throughout the entire pandemic. “COVID was definitely a big shock for the healthcare community. There was just so much uncertainty and things we didn't know about it,” Cordova said. When the vaccine was first authorized for emergency use by the FDA in December 2020, Cordova was chosen to be one of the first recipients of the vaccine. But she was very nervous and didn’t originally want to get it. “Initially, I was absolutely not going to get the vaccine. I thought, ‘It was rushed, I won't trust it,’” Cordova said. But after consulting with her colleagues and reading the research from the clinical trials, Cordova knew it was safe and the right ...
Good news! Children ages 12 to 15 can now get a COVID-19 vaccine! On May 10, 2021, the FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use for children ages 12 to 15. It had previously been approved for those ages 16 and older. This next step in reaching herd immunity is crucial. Not only does it expand the pool of eligible vaccine recipients to 87% of the U.S. population, but it also allows teens who have missed out on school, sports, prom, and other aspects of life to return to normal. Do you have questions about the Pfizer vaccine and want to know more before your children get vaccinated? Here’s what Latino parents should know. UPDATE: Information about how teenagers can get the vaccine without needing parental consent in some states.
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Rosa Herrera sabe lo difícil que puede ser luchar contra el COVID-19. En octubre del 2020, dos de sus hijas estuvieron muy enfermas con COVID-19 y tuvieron que ser hospitalizas. Herrera, también se enfermó, pero tuvo un caso leve. “Fue realmente aterrador. No podía verlas y como las dos estaban hospitalizadas al mismo tiempo, me estaba volviendo loca", dijo Herrera. Inicialmente, Herrera tenía miedo de recibir una vacuna. Le preocupaba que la hubieran hecho muy rápido, y porque no sabía lo que había en los ingredientes, que pudiera tener microchips o algo que le hiciera daño a su familia de nuevo─cosas que había leído en Facebook. Pero después de saber que la vacuna es segura, Herrera finalmente decidió vacunarse. Ella se alegra de haberlo ...
