‘I understand your concern': Sedgwick County's COVID Ambassador program beats back vaccine hesitancy

Celia Hack

October 21, 2021 |

The Wichita Beacon |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Sedgwick County, Kansas

The COVID Ambassador program trains people to listen, be empathetic, and acknowledge people’s COVID-19 vaccine concerns. Ambassadors’ training includes substantial practice talking to people who are resistant to getting vaccinated and they receive ongoing support at bi-monthly meetings, which has increased their confidence and led to more conversations with community members hesitant to get vaccinated. Like other community health worker programs, the ambassador program’s ability to be successful relies on the idea that people trust information from their peers more than from the government.

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Spain has one the highest vaccination rates in the world without government mandates or incentives. Here is what's behind the Spanish success story and what others could learn from it.

Anne-Sophie Brandlin

October 17, 2021 |

Deutsche Welle (DW) |

Video |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Spain

Spain achieved one of the highest vaccination rates among Western countries in part because of longstanding trust and confidence in the public health system and data-informed strategies. The public generally trusted the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine because of a history of cooperation and positive public health outcomes. The norm of inter-generational living also gave young people more incentive to get vaccinated to protect their elderly residents and officials used this as part of the public health messaging. Officials also personally called and set up vaccine appointments for everyone they could reach.

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By boat, by motorbike, by foot

Samantha Schmidt

October 12, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Colombia, La Giajira

IPSI Palaima is working to vaccinate Indigenous families who live in hard-to-reach areas of La Guajira, where there are no paved roads, electricity, or running water and staff must use cars, boats, and motorbikes to reach them. A team of nursing assistants and a doctor spend 15 days at a time at a local outpost and travel by motorbike to surrounding communities, carrying vaccines in cooler bags. The organization was founded by an Indigenous woman who grew up in the area. Many of the staff members speak the local language, which can ease the communities’ vaccine hesitation and mistrust of authorities.

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Inside United Airlines' Decision to Mandate Coronavirus Vaccines

Niraj Chokshi, Noam Scheiber

October 02, 2021 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The key to United Airlines successful vaccine mandate, even in areas that have low vaccination rates, was gradually phasing in the mandate after a year-long effort laying the groundwork. The airline worked with the union to set up vaccine clinics at its major hubs and offered incentives to employees who got vaccinated. Incentives, like extra pay or vacation days that declined over time until they expired, led the majority of employees to get vaccinated, and the mandate proved to be the final push that was needed.

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George Floyd Square COVID-19 vaccine drives target misinformation, mistrust

Susan Du

September 25, 2021 |

Minnesota Star Tribune |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Though police have removed barricades from the protest zone around George Floyd Square, it remains a popular gathering place for people. The church across from the spot where George Floyd was murdered in May 2020 has partnered with the Cultural Wellness Center to offer COVID-19 vaccines at the square in order to raise the vaccination rate of the surrounding community. The shots are free and recipients receive a $50 gift card for each dose of the two-dose series. While many people have come to get the vaccine begrudgingly, largely due to workplace and travel mandates, organizers are happy for any gains.

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Pour Flush Toilets Eradicate Typhoid in Katunguru Village

Fatuma Nalwanga

September 19, 2021 |

The Community Agenda |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Uganda, Katunguru

Katunguru village reduced Cholera and Typhoid outbreaks by building and transitioning to pour flush toilets rather than pit latrines. Pour flush toilets require just a five-foot pit, so waste water doesn’t mix with drinking water and are inexpensive to maintain. A user pours in water to flush the toilet through an S-shaped pipe. In addition to stopping disease outbreaks, residues from filled pits are used as manure and ash from kitchens are sprinkled inside after each use to prevent odors and dry up waste residues. Pour flush toilets are not constructed with wood, so they also minimize local deforestation.

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The hotel for homeless people

Simon Maybin

September 14, 2021 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom

To limit the spread of COVID-19, the Everyone In initiative offers housing to people experiencing homelessness. In the first few months of the program, the government paid for hotel rooms – which were empty due to the pandemic – for about 15,000 people. Additional services provided include helping people with substance abuse issues, accessing welfare benefits, and finding permanent housing. Some hotel residents expressed a renewed sense of purpose from having stable housing. A new set of workers, like hotel staff, addressing homelessness for the first time also led to innovation.

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South Omaha sprints on vaccines as small-town Nebraska lags

Matthew Hansen

September 03, 2021 |

Flatwater Free Press |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Omaha, Nebraska

Community health workers from One World have gained community trust over the years and now go door-to-door to talk with residents about the COVID-19 vaccine and dispel misinformation. They provide resources in Spanish and carry vaccines in a refrigerated bag so residents can get vaccinated on the spot. The group has invested a lot of money, time, and personnel having intensely personal conversations with people. They also host pop-up clinics in the community and allow at-home vaccination appointments. The areas served by One World has seen more vaccinations than almost anywhere else in Nebraska.

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Opioid Crisis: Northern cities working toward supervised consumption sites

Frank Rupnik

August 31, 2021 |

Sudbury.com |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

Oasis is a supervised drug consumption site in Ottawa that reduces the risk of death from accidental overdose and reduces the spread of infectious diseases. In 2020, operating at reduced capacity because of COVID-19, the site had 18,500 visits with no fatalities reported. The site has five booths and distributes clean needles. After registering anonymously, users can spend up to 30 minutes in a booth with medical staff on site. They also have the option of moving to a post-injection space afterwards, which allows the staff more opportunities to connect with users and connect them to other services.

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Sacramento's Black Community Takes Charge Of Its Own Health, Vaccination

Genoa Barrow

August 23, 2021 |

The Observer |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Sacramento, California

Community groups and individual doctors ran pop-up vaccine clinics to combat the lack of access to care and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities. Umoja Health’s pop-up clinics vaccinated up to 80% of residents living in San Francisco’s most vulnerable areas. Del Paso Heights clinic had such a huge demand for vaccines that the waiting list swelled to 4,000 people at one point. The Greater Sacramento Urban League ran free pop-up vaccine clinics while also canvassing neighborhoods to talk with residents about getting vaccinated.

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