MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Misinformation and the fear of government agencies at vaccination clinics are issues the City of Memphis said it's seeing in the Spanish-speaking community during its door-to-door COVID-19 vaccine campaign called Our Best Shot. Elizabeth Wooten, field director for the campaign said the city is trying to make these communities feel safe by bringing the COVID-19 vaccine to Spanish and immigrant neighborhoods.
Since the Our Best Shot campaign started six weeks ago, canvassers knocked on nearly 10,000 doors and convinced 800 people to get vaccinated.
"Getting your vaccine is the best way to ensure a healthy community," Wooten said.
But the field director for the program realized the Latinx community needs more attention.
"Those who are in the immigrant community and the Spanish-speaking community [has] hesitation and worry when it comes to a government-ran site," Wooten explained.
According to data from the Shelby County Health Department, only 5% of the Hispanic or Latino community is vaccinated.
"Let me make something very clear," she said. That no one has to show their identification or have to make an appointment to get their vaccine." "Yes with bigger sites there are government agencies like FEMA and army reserve, and our police, and sheriff department but to be clear, they are good samaritans and they aren't there to pick up anybody due to their immigration status."
Language barriers, being uninsured, and not knowing that the vaccine is free are other contributions to low vaccine rates in the Spanish-speaking communities. The next part of the city's vaccination campaign will address these barriers by bringing covid-19 vaccines to Spanish-speaking neighborhoods.
"We are going into these communities with the vaccine where you can get your vaccine with no id, no appointment need in your own community,' she said. "You don't even have to go to the larger sites."
Wooten said the pop-up neighborhood vaccination sites will be a safe place for Spanish-speaking and immigrant communities until the end of July.
"I am also Chicana and community and family are everything to our culture and being vaccinated is the best way to make sure our abuelitas, abuelos, and our cousins and everybody is safe," Wooten said.
The first vaccine neighborhood pop-up is July 7 until 8:30 p.m. at World Relief. If you want to request a vaccine popup in your neighborhood or find the next community location click here.