Riverside County launches vaccine campaign focusing on communities of color

Riverside County is starting a county-wide campaign to reach the Latino community, the Black-African American community as well as Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander residents and frontline workers to take the coronavirus vaccine.

"We thought it was important that we have this type of outreach effort to ensure that we do everything possible as a county of riverside to vaccinate as many people as possible," said Riverside County 4th District supervisor, V. Manuel Perez.

The goal is to provide communities with people of color with reliable coronavirus vaccine information through trusted sources in their community and making sure it's in their language.

"Some of it is misinformation and just a fear of what it means to get the vaccine," said Perez. "Some of it has to deal with documentation issues. Some of it has to deal with the lack of transportation and access."

Riverside County has broken down its vaccine rates by the different races and ethnicities:

"We're going to have TV ads, radio ads, billboards, print ads, and digital ads, interviews with local media to make sure that we get the word out," said Perez.

In addition to the county and the Riverside University Health System being a part of the campaign, it will also include collaboration with community-based partners and faith leaders. The county said it wants the campaign to reach vulnerable populations in the places they feel most comfortable.

"Develop a sort of trusted relationship so that, you know, as we're going out, people are not suspicious that you know, we have any other motivation other than trying to help and support the community," said Riverside County's public health officer, Dr. Geoffrey Leung.

The county said it's constantly watching its vaccine rates in each community. Saying it hopes to see vaccine rates increase through this new campaign.