Angelita Alonzo, a resident of the Brazos Valley and an advocate for the Hispanic community, was registering herself to receive her COVID-19 vaccine when she noticed there was something missing.
”What I noticed as I was registering is how do people who are monolingual Spanish speakers or other languages, how would they register on these sites?” she asked.
Alonzo is concerned this will discourage Hispanics from receiving their vaccine and wants to raise awareness on inclusion for the safety and health of the Hispanic community.
”It’s important because the Latino Hispanic working community in the Brazos Valley contribute a lot to the economy,” she added.
After going through the registration motions, Alonzo is patiently awaiting her opportunity to get her vaccine.
”They sent me a response saying, "We will get back in touch with you," and so I'm 71-years-old and I’m hoping that in the next few weeks, I may be able to get a vaccine,” she shared.
Baylor Scott & White say they do have a site for Spanish speakers to receive their COVID-19 information.
Si habla Español, visite este sitio para registrarse para obtener información y un proveedor lo llamará para programar una cita para su vacuna covid si califica.
St. Joseph Health officials say they recognize the need and are working diligently to serve the Hispanic community.
Jim Stewart, the coordinator of the Brazos Community Emergency Operations Center, says the Brazos Center Vaccine hub will ensure inclusion.
”We’ve reached out to the Brazos Transit District to see if we can get a special transportation program in place to bring that community to the Brazos Center,” said Stewart.
According to the CDC, data shows Hispanic communities in the United States are disproportionately affected by the pandemic.