Lincoln County Public Health (LCPH) in Oregon conducted a Rapid Community Assessment and found that Hispanic, LatinX, and Indigenous Mesoamerican communities identified accessibility challenges as a barrier to attending vaccine clinics. Despite these challenges, there is a strong interest in vaccination within these communities, highlighting the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate clinics.
To enhance outreach, LCPH adjusted mobile vaccination clinic locations and tailored services to meet community language needs through partner collaboration. Additionally, vaccine educational materials were developed to align with the target population’s values, emphasizing family and work.
LCPH also worked with Next Day Animations to produce animated “explainer” videos in Spanish and Mam:
- Phase I: Highlights the importance of vaccines for health, happiness, and family.
- Phase II: Provides information on clinic accessibility, including language support and locations.
Videos created:
Accompanying flyers were created to reinforce the messages in the videos, and digital ads were launched on platforms like YouTube to reach the target audience. A dedicated Spanish-language landing page was developed, featuring information on vaccinations, side effects, resources, and upcoming clinics that included Spanish and Mam interpreters.
Traditionally, LCPH utilizes the Achievelt performance management system to track vaccine clinic locations and attendance. Further assessments are planned to gauge the impact of the communications campaign on vaccination rates and community understanding which this tool does not currently capture.
Through this intervention, LCPH recognizes the importance of continuous collaboration with community partners and recommends ongoing assessment of these partnerships. Engaging the community ensures the delivery of equitable, culturally, and linguistically appropriate services. They advocate for using a spectrum of community engagement to achieve these goals.
