Tag: covid-19

COVID-19 Vaccination Rates among Washington State’s Latinos are Improving, but Challenges Remain

A new policy brief from LCH reports that, although Washington state has made significant progress towards vaccinating Latinos against COVID-19, some urban and rural Latinx communities are lagging behind and remain at significant risk of COVID-19 infections.

University of Washington, Seattle: As part of a newly released COVID-19 policy brief, the Latino Center for Health reports that overall in Washington state, the rate of fully vaccinated individuals among Latinos twelve years of age and older was 54.6% as of September 29, 2021, up from 40.5% in July (2021), representing a 33.4% increase in the number of vaccinated Latinos.

“The greatest risk we face now is to be complacent about the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot rest until we have reached all unvaccinated and under-vaccinated Latinos in our state,” said LCH co-Director Leo S. Morales, MD, PhD, who wrote the policy brief. 

Although progress has been made since July, this is a critical moment to reexamine vaccination rates among Latinos, with approximately 341,808 of the estimated 752,802 Latinos twelve years of age and older in our state remaining partially vaccinated or unvaccinated. Approval of COVID-19 vaccines for 5–11 year-olds will result in 156,577 additional Latinx children in the state becoming eligible to for vaccination.

This policy brief urges our state’s elected leadership to continue their support of community-based organizations and trusted community leaders who use culturally and linguistically tailored approaches to increase access and overcome hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccines in Latinx communities.

Other recommendations for increasing vaccine uptake among Latinos can be found in our recent policy briefs on vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 information sources.

This policy brief is part of LCH’s COVID-19 policy brief series. LCH researchers used data from the 2019 Census QuickFacts website and the WA State Department of Health COVID-19 Dashboard.

Download the policy brief here:

LatinxVaccinationRatesOctober2021Download

Survey finds Latinos trust TV, social media, & CBOs for COVID-19 information

A survey conducted by the Latino Center for Health in partnership with Sea Mar Community Health Centers has found that television, social media, and community-based organizations are important sources that Latinos in Washington use and trust for getting their COVID-19-related information.

See the latest in our COVID-19 policy brief series: Examining Trusted Sources of COVID-19 Information among Latinos.

Strengthening communication strategies can have lasting effects on the Latino community’s health and be applied to future health initiatives to combat misinformation and help Latinos make informed choices. LCH calls for institutions, including local health jurisdictions, healthcare providers, and hospitals, to create communications related to COVID-19 prevention and treatment that:

Use communication strategies that prioritize the diverse media habits of Latino audiences.

Tailor messaging for age and language groups within the Latino community.

Strengthen partnerships with trusted CBOs to deepen their reach and relationship with the Latino communities.

Prioritize targeted communications for social media, TV, and community-based organizations.

Healthcare providers are a primary trusted source of information for Spanish and English-speaking Latinos and should consider using culturally tailored communication strategies in English and Spanish when communicating with their Latino patients.

For more recommendations and information about the survey, click here.

The Seattle Times features Dr. Morales in recent article on the risk of COVID-19 delta variant

Read the article in English here: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/as-the-delta-variant-grips-washington-state-latino-population-faces-steep-covid-risk/

Lea el artículo en español aquí: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/a-medida-que-la-variante-delta-se-propaga-en-el-estado-de-washington-la-poblacion-latina-enfrenta-un-alto-riesgo-de-covid/

Vaccination Rates Among Washington State Latinos Remain Low as Delta Variant Emerges in the U.S.

A new policy brief from LCH reports that state and county support for community-based organizations is vital to help vulnerable Latino communities who are being left behind in vaccination efforts. Read the policy brief here.

University of Washington, Seattle: Although significant progress has been made in vaccinating the overall population of Washington State against COVID-19, Latino communities remain vulnerable to infection as the majority remain unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. As part of a COVID-19 policy brief, LCH reports that in Washington State as a whole, only 35 percent of Latinos are fully vaccinated, 6 percent are partially vaccinated, and 60 percent are unvaccinated.

“With the growing threat of the COVID-19 Delta variant in our region, it is imperative that we vaccinate as many Latinos as possible before the fall when schools reopen and cooler temperatures will drive infection rates higher,” said LCH co-Director Leo S. Morales, MD, PhD, who wrote the policy brief.

This policy brief is part of LCH’s COVID-19 policy brief series. LCH researchers used data from the 2019 Census QuickFacts website and the WA State Department of Health COVID-19 Dashboard.

Hispanics/Latinos have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 infection and deaths nationally and locally. In Washington State, as of June 15th, 2021, nearly one-third (29%) of all COVID-19 cases were among Latinos, even though Latinos only account for 13% of the state’s population. Counties with the largest numbers of unvaccinated Latinos include King (120,226), Yakima (82,916), Peirce (71,379), Snohomish (58,440), and Franklin (40,084) counties.

The attached policy brief urges county and state officials, including elected representatives, to strengthen their support of grassroots, community-based organizations. This support is vital to expand access and overcome hesitancy to COVID-19 vaccines among Latinos in Washington.

Support at the state and county level will protect unvaccinated and partially vaccinated Latinos for the fall season when the spread of the Delta variant is expected to intensify.

Read The Full Policy Brief Here

South Park Community Center Vaccination Clinic, May 2021. Photo by Hugo Ludeña.

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The Latino Center for Health is committed to advancing the field of Latino health through building capacity to support culturally responsive research and shaping the next generation of leaders equipped to respond to current and emerging health issues facing diverse Latino communities in the state and region. Through prioritizing community-academic partnerships, professional training and mentorship, and innovative research approaches, the Latino Center for Health positions itself as a critical resource to inform policy development and effective practices promoting health in urban and rural settings across Washington state.

Dr. Aisenberg featured in Univision report on COVID-19 & Mental Health among WA Latinos

Latino Center for Health co-director Dr. Gino Aisenberg was featured in this report from Univision Seattle regarding our recently published policy brief on the increased prevalence of depression and anxiety among Latinos during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is part of our COVID-19 policy brief series.

Click here to view Univision’s report.

Click here to learn more about our recently published policy brief, “Depression and Anxiety among Latinos: Urgent Call for Mental Health Services.”

Depression and Anxiety among Latinos: Urgent Call for Mental Health Services

A new survey finds increased prevalence in depression and anxiety among Latinos in Washington State. LCH calls for policymakers to recognize this issue as critical and make short- and long-term changes to improve access to mental healthcare.

University of Washington, Seattle: The prevalence of depression and anxiety among Latinos in WA state increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey study conducted by the Latino Center for Health. As part of a COVID-19 policy brief, LCH reports 13% and 16% of respondents scored “depression likely” and “anxiety likely”, respectively. Additionally, 9% of participants’ scores indicate clinically significant comorbidity of anxiety and depression.

This policy brief is part of LCH’s COVID-19 policy brief series. LCH researchers used data from the “Understanding Washington Latinos’ Experiences Around COVID-19” survey developed by the center in partnership with Sea Mar Community Health Centers.

Latinos are disproportionately affected by stressors that negatively impact their mental health. Out of all survey respondents, 39% indicated that they were unemployed, 41% reported that they were uninsured, and 57% reported having completed a high school education or less.

“COVID-19 has illuminated and exacerbated disparities in anxiety and depression impacting Latinos. WA state must do much more to provide accessible, and culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services for all Latinos in our state, including rural and urban, insured and uninsured, migrant and non-migrant, and immigrant and non-immigrant,” said LCH co-Director Leo S. Morales, MD, PhD, principal investigator of the study.

Overall, scores for “depression likely” and “anxiety likely” were higher among younger (18-30 years old) and older participants (>65 years old), women, divorced, those with higher education, and those with lower incomes.

This policy brief contains a list of recommendations to improve and promote access to culturally and linguistically responsive mental health services to urban and rural Latinos in Washington state. Some short- and long-term recommendations include:

  • Make temporary waivers for telehealth (telemedicine and telemental health) services permanent.
  • Increase access to evidence-based, culturally responsive telephone Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) depression care.
  • Incentivize college and university educational programs across the state to strengthen and enhance their equity curriculum through developing and implementing Latino mental health curriculum and tracks.

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Sea Mar Community Health Centers, founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos in Washington state.Sea Mar’snetwork of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics in WA state and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services.

Dr. Jimenez participates in WA DOH Spanish panel on COVID-19 and going back to school

The Washington State Department of Health, Univisión Seattle, and the Latino Center for Health (LCH) co-hosted a Spanish-speaking virtual panel on May 13, 2021 about going back to school in times of COVID. Among the panelists was Dr. Nathalia Jimenez, pediatric anesthesiologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Research Director of LCH.

Dr. Jimenez underscored the importance of taking COVID-19 very seriously, given that, in some cases, children can have serious complications when contracting the virus, and more than 300 children have died of COVID-19 in the United States from a condition called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MISC).

Dr. Jimenez also clarified that various studies show how schools are a low-risk environment when it comes to COVID-19 infections when adequate safety measures are in place, such as mask usage, washing hands, appropriate ventilation, and social distancing.

This blog post (in Spanish) by the WA Department of Health provides more details about the panel, including important information given by the panelists.

Here is the full recording of the Spanish-speaking panel:

And here is the English voiceover of the recording:

Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among WA State Latinos Appears to be Low, Accessibility Remains Concern

A new survey finds 62 percent of Latinos/Hispanics in Washington state are willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine yet remain under-vaccinated. LCH calls for policymakers and public health officials to target communications and accessibility barriers.

University of Washington, Seattle: In a new survey of Sea Mar Community Health Center patients, the Latino Center for Health (LCH) found that most (62%) Latinos/Hispanics believe vaccines are safe and effective at preventing infections and are willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine if available to them, despite having some concerns related to cost, side effects, and effectiveness.

“This data supports that the issue with Latinos not getting the COVID-19 vaccine is not so much due to hesitancy but access. Our policymakers should address these barriers and bring the vaccine to our communities to mitigate the health inequities that Latinos have experienced during the pandemic,” said Dr. Miriana C. Durán, Research Coordinator at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted Latinos nationally, with mortality nearly six times that of non-Latino whites. In Washington state, the COVID-19 infection rate for Latinos is the second-highest in the nation, accounting for more than a third of COVID-19 cases in the state when Latinos are only 13% of the state’s population. Throughout the pandemic, Latinos have had inadequate access to COVID-19 testing and other resources and are once again lagging behind other groups in the state in accessing approved COVID-19 vaccines, despite being overrepresented in the state’s essential workforce. As of 4/7/2021, Latinos make up only 7% of all individuals 16 years of age and older who have received at least one vaccine dose in WA state.

In light of the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on Latinos in WA, inequities in vaccine access, and the willingness of Latinos to take the vaccine, LCH urges community leaders, policymakers, and public health officials to increase the vaccination rate for Latinos in WA by tailoring communication strategies and public education, improving access, and engaging with local community-based organizations.

This policy brief prepared by LCH contains a list of recommendations aimed at reducing vaccine hesitancy and increasing vaccine acceptance and uptake among Latinos in WA state. Some recommendations include:

  • Engaging local Latino community leaders as effective and trusted advocates to deliver information on COVID-19 vaccines.
  • Expanding service hours in vaccination clinics, including after-hours and weekends, making appointments accessible to people working in various shifts.
  • Increasing engagement with Community-Based Organizations as trusted, safe, and familiar spaces, with cultural and linguistic knowledge.

“Latinos in WA want to get the COVID-19 vaccine — let’s be empathetic, meet them where they are, help them overcome the obstacles they face, and give them relevant information in the language they understand best,” said Community Health Worker and UW Public Health Practice student Aida Hidalgo MSc, Ph.D.

LCH created the survey and policy brief in partnership with Sea Mar Community Health Centers. Sea Mar’s network of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics in WA state and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services.

Dr. Morales quoted in recent KUOW article on vaccine inequities among Latinos

Dr. Morales, co-director of the Latino Center for Health, told KUOW that what’s needed to bridge the gap in vaccine inequities among Latinos is to bring the vaccines to where the people are.

“I don’t think the solution is just to open up mass vaccination sites,” he said. “That just doesn’t work.”

Read more about what he and other community members believe DOES work: https://www.kuow.org/stories/as-latinos-wait-for-vaccines-in-seattle-area-they-keep-getting-sick