Top Six COVID-19 Resources for Vaccine Readiness for Immigrant and Migrant Communities

/ 13 January 2021 / 0 Comments

A man being vaccinated by clinician

Clinics, health centers, and health departments around the country are looking ahead to the vaccination of essential worker populations like farmworkers, who in many states are eligible for vaccination during Phase 1B, after frontline health workers and long-term care facility workers and residents have gained access to COVID-19 vaccines during Phase 1A. Essential food workers are not just at higher risk of COVID-19 in the workplace; many face additional social and occupational determinants of health that increase their risk, from pesticide exposure, to poor access to health care, to poverty, to frequent migration. Vaccine rollouts in each state and region are moving forward utilizing varying distribution strategies. At times and in some locations, the decentralization of rollout efforts has led to uneven or seemingly haphazard distribution. But, regardless of the location, the speed, and the organization of vaccination rollouts, some basic needs are the same: patients need to be informed and safe. Migrant Clinicians Network offers these six resources to support clinicians as they prepare for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines for essential workers.

COVID-19 Vaccine Videos with Dr. Eva Galvez

In English and Spanish, these videos briefly explain why the vaccine is safe and the importance for clinicians to address health misinformation and the lack of trust seen in immigrant and migrant communities. Offered in a very short “public service announcement” format and the slightly longer interview format.

PSA in English: COVID-19 Vaccine: Dr. Eva Galvez, a physician serving migrant and immigrant communities
PSA in Spanish: La Vacuna del COVID-19: Dra. Eva Galvez, una doctora sirviendo a las comunidades migrantes
Interview in English: Interview: COVID-19 Vaccine: Dr. Eva Galvez, a physician serving migrant and immigrant communities
Interview in Spanish: Entrevista: Vacuna del COVID-19: Dra. Eva Galvez, una doctora sirviendo a las comunidades migrantes

Combatting Health Misinformation

Patients are concerned about the safety of the vaccine. Much misinformation is circulating around the vaccine. Help the patient understand the safety of the vaccine and how to deconstruct conflicting or confusing health messages that may be misinformation through our interactive guide, “Deconstructing Health Misinformation”.

Interactive Prezi version: https://prezi.com/view/2zUKL4KGQWaysr1BertD/
Single-page handout version:

https://www.migrantclinician.org/toolsource/resource/deconstructing-health-messages-five-key-questions.html
Single-page handout version: https://www.migrantclinician.org/toolsource/resource/deconstructing-health-messages-five-key-questions.html

Multilingual Posters on Mask Use

When patients arrive to vaccination sites, safety is essential. Print these low-literacy posters on proper mask use, in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Health providers can easily point to encourage the correction of improper use of masks. Available at: https://www.migrantclinician.org/files/_pdfs/Wear-Mask_poster_web.pdf

Health Network

Without federal direction, the rollout of vaccinations for essential workers will look different in each state and region. With two vaccines circulating, one region may only have one vaccine, and the next region over may have a different one. These factors are complicated by the mobility of farmworkers, who may have to move before the second vaccination is administered. It is critical that farmworkers understand the importance of the second vaccination and maintain the record of their first vaccination. Migrant Clinicians Network operates Health Network, a virtual case management system that assists migrants with ongoing health needs in finding health care at their next destination. Clinicians are strongly encouraged to enroll patients who may need to migrate before they can receive the second vaccination. After enrollment, a Health Network Associate will follow up with the patient and assist in finding a health facility in the migrant’s next location so the patient can access the second dose. Health Network’s services are without cost to the health facilities or patients.

Learn more about Health Network here: https://www.migrantclinician.org/services/network.html
Learn more about enrollment here: https://www.migrantclinician.org/services/network/enrollment-in-health-network.html
Contact Theressa Lyons-Clampitt for more information: tylons@migrantclinician.org.

Online Seminars

From the beginning of the pandemic, Migrant Clinicians Network has brought numerous experts directly to our frontline workers through webinars, learning collaboratives, and support circles, providing the newest data, expert recommendations, and frontline strategies, in English and in Spanish. We will continue to bring these up-to-the-minute educational opportunities on vaccination as well.

Upcoming Seminars: https://www.migrantclinician.org/trainings.html
Archived Seminars, including on testing for farmworkers, stress and grief, health misinformation, and more. https://www.migrantclinician.org/archived-webinars.html
Archived Seminars in Spanish: https://www.migrantclinician.org/es/seminarios-web-archivados.html

Public Service Announcements for Radio: The Importance of Mask Wearing

Over a year into the pandemic, rural farmworker communities continue to encounter extensive misinformation on the dangers of COVID-19; the importance of mask wearing and physical distancing; and the resources available to them should they get sick. These basic public service announcements in Spanish, available for download for community radio to broadcast, can assist in readying the community for vaccination by ensuring that all community members have access to basic information on COVID-19 prevention through mask wearing: https://www.migrantclinician.org/toolsource/resource/mascarillas-radio-spots.html

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