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COVID-19 takes a big toll on Latinos.
To help move Latinos from vaccine hesitancy to vaccine confidence, Salud America! is uplifting the stories of real Latinos who overcame misinformation, got the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson), reconnected with family, and are helping end the pandemic and variants like Delta and Omicron.
Share these “change of heart” heroes in English or Spanish!
Update 10/26/22: Dr. Amelie Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, featured the heroes at the COVID-19 Equity Evidence Academy from the RADx-UP program in September 2022!
Rosa Herrera
Rosa Herrera read on Facebook that the COVID-19 vaccine would inject her with a microchip.
What changed her heart? After doing research and learning that the vaccine is safe, she ultimately decided to get a vaccine.
She’s glad she did.
“I’m able to see my grandkids and my kids here. It gives you more freedom,” Herrera said.
Find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you in English or Spanish!
Jesus Larralde
Jesus Larralde was nervous about the COVID-19 vaccine’s possible side effects.
His wife got the vaccine and was fine. And others in his family.
But what drove him to change his heart and pushed him to get the vaccine?
“We need to learn, and we need to understand that we need to stop spreading this thing around. Because if we don’t take our shots, that’s not going to happen,” Larralde said.
Find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you in English or Spanish!
Helen Cordova
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.
See what changed her heart!
Find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you in English or Spanish!
Maria Maldonado
Maria Maldonado knows what it’s like to experience the tragedy of COVID-19.
She lost five family members to the virus in the past year, including her mother.
When the vaccine became available for adults, Maldonado couldn’t wait to get one.
“Because I trust science. They developed it fast, but they still took the protocols and the safety measures that they had to take,” Maldonado said.
Once the vaccine was available for children ages 5 to 11, Maldonado got her 9-year-old son Jacob vaccinated.
She hopes that other Latino parents will vaccinate their children and help protect the Latino community, which has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
“I feel a sense of relief. And I feel like it’s a little bit of a step forward in trying to help one another, and being a good citizen,” Maldonado said.
Find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you in English or Spanish!
Norma Cavazos
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.
See what changed her heart!
Find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you in English or Spanish!
Chris David
Chris David heard folks say the shots will make your skin shed, damage your DNA, and are part of a secret conspiracy to get people to accept government control.
So why did this military brat end up getting the COVID-19 vaccine?
See what changed his heart!
Alfred Lee
Alfred Lee has heard just about every COVID-19 vaccine myth out there.
He’s seen YouTube videos about how “dangerous” the vaccine is, how it’ll track people, how it’ll make people’s skin fall off. His friends and neighbors believed these myths and kept telling Lee not to get vaccinated.
But Lee wanted to go fishing with his friends. So he decided to get vaccinated, and he’s glad he did.
“Oh yeah, I feel much safer now, are you kidding?” Lee said.
How to Share These Stories
Find COVID-19 vaccine locations near you in English or Spanish!
By The Numbers
142
Percent
Expected rise in Latino cancer cases in coming years
