HOUSTON — The push to get Harris County residents vaccinated has gone into overdrive.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Black and Latino communities remain the most vulnerable.
Even though the vaccine is readily available, local leaders said there are many reasons Black and Latino residents are choosing not to get it.
One of the biggest reasons is they just don’t trust it.
Venus Ginés with Dia de la Mujer Latina is focused on making sure those hardest hit by the pandemic get up-to-date facts about COVID-19 testing and vaccines.
“Misinformation plus miscommunication equals mistrust," Ginés said.
She said because of social media, the Latino community has heard more about the issues with the vaccines than the benefits.
Ginés points to a group of Houston Methodist nurses who quit their jobs rather than getting the shot.
“That set us back as advocates, because then again, they’re saying they must know something,” Ginés said.
She said some Latinos are worried about the safety of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after extremely rare blood clots in some women was reported.
“That really caused us some heartache, because now they don’t want the J&J vaccine at all," Ginés said.
Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said they have to work against misinformation being shared on social media.
“Every aspect of the vaccine has been validated,” Garcia said.
Dr. Joseph Varon with United Memorial Medical Center treats mainly Black and Latino COVID patients in Acres Homes.
He said some of them told him they don't trust the vaccine, someone they know told them not to, or they just didn’t have the time.
Garcia said working with directly trusted sources like churches is key in driving up vaccination numbers.
“A neighbor will listen to a neighbor before they trust me, and so we are asking people to be ambassadors and help us encourage those around them," Garcia said.
They said there are other issues affecting underserved communities that have to be addressed, like transportation to vaccination sites and better communication between groups working to help those hardest hit by COVID-19.