April is National Minority Health Month, and this year, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) is focusing on the impacts COVID-19 is having on racial and ethnic minority and American Indian and Alaska Native communities and underscoring the need for these vulnerable communities to get vaccinated as more vaccines become available. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), certain vulnerable populations, such as non-Hispanic African Americans, individuals living in nonmetropolitan areas, and adults with lower levels of education, income or who do not have health insurance, have a higher likelihood of forgoing getting vaccinated.
The theme for National Minority Health Month is #VaccineReady. The goal of this effort is to help communities at higher risk of COVID-19 to:
- Get the facts about COVID-19 vaccines and share accurate vaccine information
- Encourage participation in clinical trials related to COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutics
- Get vaccinated when the time comes
- Practice COVID-19 safety measures
Here are some ways you can help promote the observance:
- Spread the word by accessing and sharing the resources in the National Minority Health Month Toolkit, which has resources, sample social media messages and downloadable graphics.
- Join the conversation by using the hashtag #VaccineReady and sharing “I am #VaccineReady because…” with your community. Start a dialogue with your network on the importance of being #VaccineReady to continue protecting themselves and others by practicing safe behaviors to slow the spread of COVID-19.
- Sign up for email updates from OMH and about National Minority Health Month or follow OMH on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
To learn more about National Minority Health Month, visit the OMH website (English | Spanish), sign up to receive email updates on news and activities, and follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
New Video Series Features Black Health Care Workers Talking About COVID-19 Vaccination
The Conversation: Between Us, About Us, a new public service campaign developed by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and the Black Coalition Against COVID-19, provides black communities with credible information about COVID-19 vaccines. Black doctors, nurses and researchers are featured in 50 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) videos, with more videos to come. “We’re seeing more black adults want to get vaccinated when their time comes, but still a sizeable percent say they are waiting to see others vaccinated first. Among this group, many share common concerns that are directly addressed in this campaign,” said KFF President and CEO Drew Altman. Access the video series.