Vaccine Equity Bright Spot Briefing

The COVID-19 vaccination rate is nearly three times higher for white people than communities of color and that gap continues to widen -- despite communities of color being disproportionately affected by infections and deaths. Challenges in vaccine access and availability are further complicating distribution, particularly for institutions that have struggled to gain the trust of people of color. With all U.S. adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as of April 19th, trusted community-based workforces and hyper local data are even more critical to keeping equity at the forefront of vaccine distribution and breaking down accessibility barriers. 

During this webinar, panelists will share national perspective on vaccine equity efforts, and spotlight local successes and lessons learned from communities in California and Florida, including:

• Leveraging the strengths of promotoras to build trust and expand access;
• Using data dashboards and heat maps to remove access barriers;
• Deploying community-tailored messaging to spread the word.

1. Lauren Smith, MD, MPH, Chief Health Equity and Strategy Officer, CDC Foundation
2. Julie Pedretti, MBA, FACHE, APR, COVID-19 Community Relations Director, Healthcare Network
3. Caroline Murtaugh, Project Manager, US Public Health Accompaniment Unit at Partners in Health
4. Camey Christenson, Chief Business Development Officer, 211 San Diego
5. Karis Grounds, Vice President of Health and Community Impact, 211 San Diego

1. Denise Octavia Smith, MBA, BS, CHW, PN, SFC, Executive Director, National Association of Community Health Workers