The 66-year-old lady who lives in the south of San Antonio would only hang up the phone to take her 2-year-old great-niece for a walk, cook chorizo and eggs for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and a casserole at dinner time.
“I’m going to wash the dishes in a hurry and then go back to work,” said Arguello, who has no computer.
“When people say that the Hispanic community is difficult to reach, I say ‘nonsense’. People know how to find us when they want, “said Delgado.” When people want to sell us things regardless of what it is, they know how to be culturally consistent and with appropriate language. We have to do the same thing now with the vaccine. ”
Younger Latinos are advancing
Securing a Covid-19 vaccine spot has been a challenge for many people over the age of 65, especially due to their lack of computer skills, Internet access or limited English proficiency. In response to this, younger Latinos have either solved problems for them or taken on the responsibility of finding commitments for their parents and grandparents.
After cleaning houses and struggling to maintain work during the pandemic, Constanza Segovia’s parents couldn’t wait to make an appointment. The artist and activist who lives in Hartford, Connecticut, said her mother was excited when she called saying she had made an appointment online.
“So when they went to the appointment, they found that they had not actually registered. For some reason, the system did not register the appointment,” said Segovia.
Her mother was able to receive a dose that day, but was not scheduled for the second dose. Your father has just been rejected. Segovia spent weeks browsing confusing websites and calling information lines trying to help them. As an undocumented ex-wife, Segovia says, she noticed that some providers in her state are demanding photo IDs or asking people to enter social security numbers and health insurance information when they register.
“If you don’t have it, you will stop there,” said Segovia. “It’s not very clear if you can skip this. Are you really trying to vaccinate us all?”
Last week, Segovia was able to secure appointments for her parents. It was especially difficult because she had to make sure that they were at places close to her rural Connecticut home or at a time that would not force them to miss work, even if they had to drive for an hour.
“They can’t do all of this while they’re at work. I happen to be at home with a baby. If you don’t call during the day, we lose the window and it’s only Monday through Friday,” said Segovia.
Surviving the ‘worst chapter’
“It was the worst chapter of my life,” said the 66-year-old real estate lawyer. “But I feel so blessed by God that I am still alive.”
He felt bad, alone and isolated from his family because he lost his cell phone in the emergency room. He could not stand the food and could not go home because he was unable to control his oxygen levels. When he was released from the hospital, Ochoa said he felt blessed because four of his friends, who were also hospitalized by Covid-19, did not survive.
Ochoa, who suffers from diabetes and recovered from a brain aneurysm before the pandemic, was vaccinated earlier this year. The side effects he suffered did not make him regret having the injection.
“Anything that could happen to me because I got the vaccine, I felt that my doctors could take care of me. They couldn’t guarantee me anything when I had Covid,” said Ochoa.
Hospitals, municipal and municipal governments have carried out mass vaccination sites in the region in schools, convention centers and drive-thru events in recent months. Advocates and health leaders said there was great interest in the vaccine.
At a community health clinic that primarily serves uninsured Latino patients in McAllen, team members have been receiving constant calls from people looking to get vaccinated.
“Everyone who is calling, we write their names on a record to make sure that we will be able to return them as soon as we receive the vaccine,” said Resendez. “I’m hoping it will be sooner or later.”
Federal officials and health advocates, such as Delgado, highlighted the potential impact that community organizations can have in ensuring equity in the distribution of vaccines.
A reliable website
The offices of a union representing migrant farm workers in Toledo, Ohio, have become a vaccination site once a week for nearly two months in an effort to reach people of color.
Velasquez said his organization started registering people who are eligible as soon as they knew they could give the vaccine. In a few days, they registered 153 people, but the county sent only 30 doses in the first week. The number of vaccines has been increasing every week, as has the number of people interested in getting them, he said.
“When we started telling the Latin community to sign up for appointments, our phone rang off the hook for days and weekends,” said Velasquez.
Back in Texas, Rosie Arguello was watching cartoons with her great-niece last week when she received a call from a relative and burst into tears. Her and her husband’s names were finally on a list to receive a vaccine at a local health clinic within a few days.
She was happy that once vaccinated, she could see and hug her many grandchildren and still be safe.