Flu and Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented event for this generation, and we needed to take action and help our communities.
According to the Census 2020, the population of Pennsylvania for this year is more racially and ethnically diverse. The Hispanic and Latino population in Pennsylvania grew by 45.8%. Taking these facts into consideration, REACH set some goals to enhance health and security in our communities.
The Program
Penn State REACH made a plan to enhance Flu and COVID-19 vaccination in the Hispanic/Latino communities. Part of the initiatives were:
- conduct a needs assessment to identify drivers of COVID-19 and Flu vaccine hesitancy, influential messengers, and community-acceptable approaches.
- equip influential messengers by educating and empowering trusted voices in the community to support vaccine education and delivery.
REACH Team in Action
As part of those initiatives, REACH launched a campaign “Protect Yourself, Protect Your Community” to promote the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu shot for season 2021-2022 throughout the 10-counties catchment area. To evaluate the needs of the community, REACH convenes 2 stakeholder advisory boards, one made up of representatives from vaccine coalitions and the second one made up of community leaders from the Hispanic and Latino communities. The campaign included evidence-based information with storytelling from community champions who choose to get vaccinated.
The Impact
Different materials were created to reach the Hispanic/Latino population, among them are included infographics, rack cards, live-size cut-outs, billboards, and social media advertisements.
The Partners
Penn State Health, Schuylkill County Immunization Coalition, Lancaster County Immunization Coalition, Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition, Penn State Extension, Community Health Council of Lebanon County, The Latino Hispanic American Community Center, York/Adams Immunization Coalition, Penn State Berks, WellSpan Health Franklin/Adams County, Latino Connection, and Juntos de Lebanon.