LORAIN, Ohio — COVID-19 vaccination rates among the Hispanic community are on the rise.
What You Need To Know
- El Centro is a social services agency serving primarily the Hispanic and Latino population as well as non-Latinos in the Lorain County community
- El Centro also provides a food pantry in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank
- El Centro currently offers programs through four departments: money management, adult supportive services, the youth leadership program and the community development program
According to the Ohio Department of Health, nearly 48% of all Ohioans have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while roughly 38% of Hispanic or Latino Ohioans have had at least one dose.
Now, a non-profit advocacy organization has partnered with the Lorain County Health Department to help boost that number.
“Historically, the Latino community lags behind in terms of receiving information, in terms of receiving resources,” Lorain resident Edith said.
Nelly Davila is a case worker at El Centro de Servicios Sociales in Lorain, a social services center serving Latino residents.
Davila believes Latinos in her community are scared about getting vaccinated because of the misinformation circulating throughout their neighborhoods.
“For many, they did not come to the clinics because they were afraid,” she said. “They were afraid that they were going to be asked for ID. They were afraid that it would be a place that there would be people there that would deport them.”
Davila was born in Lorain and takes pride in her hometown, so she helps out as much as she can. The doors at El Centro were closed during the pandemic, but that did not stop Davila from helping in other ways, like educating people about the coronavirus and the importance of vaccines.
“We made fliers that we distributed at food pantries,” she said. “We dropped them off at shelters, at senior living buildings, wherever we could get it so the Latino community could have information in Spanish they would receive accurately and up to date information.”
Davila has brought together a group of volunteers who helped spread the message. One of them is Edith, who does not speak English and asked her last name not be used. She now educates others in her Spanish-speaking community on the benefits of getting vaccinated.
“Yes, I’ve been telling others to get vaccinated,” she said. “I’ve been sharing information about places that they can get vaccinated, so yes I’ve been telling others about getting vaccinated.”
Edith is passing on what she learned from Davila to others including her daughter, who is now also planning to get her shot when available.
