We are all hoping to defeat the coronavirus as soon as possible and begin to heal from the pain and devastation it has caused.
As COVID-19 vaccines are approved and rollout plans begin, our priority is making sure that it reaches the children and families who often have the least access to resources and care. And we believe it is equally important that people feel informed, comfortable, and trusting of the process and their healthcare providers.
From the Mississippi Delta, to the South Bronx, to the border region of Southern Arizona, and beyond, the programs we partner with will be tasked with distributing the vaccine to communities that have been most impacted by COVID-19: first-responders, people without homes, folks who are undocumented, essential workers, and more. But providers are facing some challenges that must be addressed for families and children to receive the equitable care and relief they desperately need.
Help frontline providers support patients during the vaccine rollout.
Building Trust
The communities served by our partner programs mostly identify as Black and brown, and have been disproportionately devastated by COVID-19 as a result of our society’s deep-seated racial injustices and inequities. This is magnified by this country’s history of oppressive practices and experimentation against people of color in healthcare and science. These and other realities have led some to be skeptical and unsure about the COVID-19 vaccine.
As supporters of equitable healthcare, we know this mistrust is warranted. And our partner providers know that solutions lie in truly listening, understanding, and building trusting relationships with their patients so that they feel empowered and respected in their healthcare.
Children’s Health Fund is supporting our frontline partners and their patients by helping to ensure their access to the vaccine and also guiding education and trust-building efforts so families feel informed, safe, and comfortable with inoculation efforts.
Healthcare Worker Shortages
Many of our partner programs will be asked to administer hundreds of vaccines per day once distribution begins. For programs in remote locations that already struggle with staffing and a shortage of healthcare providers, such as our partner Chiricahua Community Health Centers in Southern Arizona, having adequate workers for this enormous task will be a challenge. In many other programs, staffing shortages have been frequent during this crisis as frontline workers are exposed to or become infected with COVID and have to stay home.
With your support, we can help programs to continue caring for patients and successfully manage the vaccine rollout.
Help us wrap children and families in support this winter and beyond.
Thank you so much for your support.
