Organizers are using everything from door-to-door canvassing to social media to get out information on how area residents can get vaccinated for COVID-19.
Local organizers are working with the Get Out The Vaccine campaign by hiring 25 mostly bilingual canvassers to reach out to residents in Stockton neighborhoods to encourage them to sign up for vaccinations. The canvassers will be reaching out specifically to residents who speak Spanish, Cambodian, Lao, Vietnamese and Hmong.
San Joaquin County Public Health Services (PHS) is coordinating with area partners such as the San Joaquin Council of Governments to encourage county residents to get vaccinated. PHS has held vaccination clinics throughout the county and plans on more. The PHS website and the county’s SJReady.org website have information and resources for county residents seeking information on COVID-19 and the vaccine, including how to make appointments for the shot. PHS is also seeking ideas and opportunities from partners to organize events, onboard transit advertising andother possibilities. For partnering ideas, please contact Armando Valerio with PHS at avalerio@sjcphs.org.
The county also has “nurse strike teams” available to administer the vaccine to those who are homebound, their caregivers and members of the immediate household.
The Department of Health and Human Services designated Friday as GetVax Digital Day of Action, part of the We Can Do This campaign. The idea behind the public education effort is to use social media to increase the confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine and help people get the shot. HHS asked partners such as SJCOG to use social media to build momentum in reaching people who have not received the vaccine yet. HHS is hoping to direct unvaccinated people to its vaccine finder tools, including vaccines.gov, text code (438829), and 1-800-232-0233.
According to HHS, many Americans have not been vaccinated because they do not know how to locate one or have concerns about cost.