Lea en español aquí.
***
A collaborative and coordinated effort between government agencies in Boulder County, community organizations and cultural brokers registered members of marginalized communities to get the COVID-19 vaccine at Timberline PK-8.
Around 200 members of marginalized communities, including Latinx and LGBTQ, headed to the Longmont school today to receive their first dose of the Moderna COVID vaccine, according to Angela Simental, acting communications manager at Boulder County Public Health.
This is the first of two scheduled equity community clinics coordinated by Boulder County Public Health in partnership with the city of Longmont and the St. Vrain Valley School District, she said.
A second clinic at Timberline PK-8 is scheduled for Mar. 27 where an additional 200 people will receive their first dose of the vaccine.
Cultural brokers are working directly with the community to add eligible people who would otherwise experience added barriers to access the vaccine to a list for the upcoming clinic.
Six vaccination stations were distributed around the cafeteria at Timberline where seven clinicians vaccinated roughly 42 people each hour, according to Keith Rawls, immunization program manager at Boulder County Public Health, with the support of nearly 30 volunteers who coordinated the registration process, oversaw the recuperation area, answered questions and provided support as needed.
“This effort has been an immense lift that could have not been accomplished without the direct support of our volunteers throughout our community in Boulder and Longmont,” he said. “They’ve come out from all walks of life, from all professions to lend their support and it's all been heartwarming to see.”
Volunteers present at the event included members of the Medical Reserve Corps of Boulder County and staff from El Centro Amistad and Out Boulder County.
The two community organizations led the task of registering community members for the vaccination clinic, according to Jorge De Santiago, executive director at El Centro Amistad, rallying up people for all available vaccines and collecting 140 names for the next clinic.
“In less than a week (from Mar. 11 - 17) the list was already full, this goes to show the interest people have,” he said. “I want to challenge the myth that Latinos do not want to get vaccinated, these communities are more than ready to feel protected and go back to work, for them and their families.”
This effort comes after months of planning that began early in the year during which El Centro Amistad, Out Boulder, Intercambio and El Comité de Longmont joined forces to advocate for communities that have historically been marginalized. The collaboration led to brainstorming strategies for cultural brokers across the county to help community members access the vaccine.
Eligible members of these communities face barriers including language access, cultural differences, lack of access to the healthcare system, and disinformation when seeking access to the vaccine.
“I want to reiterate the grassroots community work this was,” Chris Campbell, COVID-19 testing and vaccination lead and Medical Reserve Corps of Boulder County coordinator. “I think you will see that folks are grateful that we’re able to provide access to vaccines and we are using this as a model that we’re gonna do many more of these in the coming weeks and coming months. It’s such an exciting atmosphere.”
This clinic is part of Boulder County’s vaccination equity plan, which has been underway since vaccines first became available.
In December, Boulder County hosted the first drive up clinic in the state for healthcare workers to inoculate staff at Hopelight Medical Clinic in Longmont. Last week, these same members of the healthcare system helped vaccinate 21 homebound individuals in the county, Campbell said.
“It's amazing to see how far we've come since December and also know how far we have to go,” he said. “The next several months it’s going to take the whole community to end the pandemic.”
Jose Gonzalez, Longmont resident who received his first dose of the vaccine today, said lately he has seen more visible efforts that target the Latino community, something that has become evident throughout the pandemic.
“Now it is more evident all of the good things they (government and community organizations) are doing for us, especially now that we are going through this pandemic,” he said.
This and future community clinics are the culmination of months of work between public health and community ambassadors to bring vaccine access to people who have not been prioritized in any efforts throughout the state, according to Mardi Moore, executive director at Out Boulder, including members of LGBTQ communities.
Jodi Martin, Boulder County resident, also vaccinated today,, said she was connected to the effort through Out Boulder, which made it a “great experience.”
“We all need to step somewhat out of our comfort zone to make sure we get it taken care of but I think it's wonderful that Out Boulder made sure that the LGBTQ community could be treated in a safe way and have our experience and identities recognized.”
Partners leading this effort worked to ensure all other aspects of the environment were welcoming and culturally responsive, according to Sheila Davis, Boulder County Public Health health equity coordinator.
“The traditional model (of healthcare) is really designed for the dominant culture and that has to change so we are hoping this is a step in the right direction… We want to change the dynamic between the government and our communities, we need shared decision making and this is what it looks like,” she said. “It takes a village.”
