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Ingham County Hosting COVID Vaccine Town Hall For Spanish Speakers

gloved hand holding vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
U.S. Secretary of Defense/ Wikimedia Commons

The Ingham County Health Department is hosting an online Spanish-language town hall in an effort to help the Latinx community get access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Latinx community makes up 5% of the population in Michigan, but they make up less than 2% of those vaccinated — that's according to the latest data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

To decrease that disparity, the Ingham County Health Department is partnering with grassroots organization Voces De La Comunidad. Marisol Garcia is the main organizer of the virtual event.

She said since the Latinx community has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. 

“It's nothing new. I think that the gaps have widened since the onset of the pandemic but there's always been inequities in access to health care for our Latinx community," Garcia said. 

According to Garcia, the purpose of the townhall is to raise awareness about the COVID-19 vaccine within the Spanish speaking community in Michigan.  

"Our goal is to try to build some trust and give them all the information they need to ensure that they make the best informed decision pertaining to their health regarding the COVID vaccine," she said.  

The event takes place Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. Those interested can register here

As WKAR's Bilingual Latinx Stories Reporter, Michelle reports in both English and Spanish on stories affecting Michigan's Latinx community.
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