Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | 2 a.m.
Public health officials are continuing their push to get Latinos vaccinated against COVID-19 with a telethon Thursday.
The Spanish-language “Vacunatón” (Vaccination Hotline) special on the local Telemundo affiliate will invite viewers to call in between 5 and 7 p.m. to ask questions, hear from community leaders and get help scheduling a vaccination.
It’s part of the statewide Está En Tus Manos (It’s In Your Hands) campaign, which is geared toward Spanish-speaking communities. Latinos suffer high COVID-19 infection rates and low vaccination rates, alongside unique potential concerns related to language and cultural barriers and anxiety over immigration status.
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During the “Vacunatón” segment, anyone tuning in to Noticiero Telemundo Las Vegas will have the opportunity to call the state’s COVID-19 hotline, 1-800-401-0946, and speak to an English-Spanish bilingual representative. They can ask questions and receive immediate assistance with booking an appointment for their COVID-19 vaccination.
The public-private partnership includes Telemundo Las Vegas, the Southern Nevada Health District, Clark County, Immunize Nevada, the Nevada State Immunization Program and Walmart.
Guests scheduled to appear on the telethon include Dr. Fermin Leguen, district health officer at the Southern Nevada Health District; Peter Guzman, Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce executive director; Julián Escutia Rodríguez, the consul of Mexico in Las Vegas; Dr. Carmen Ponce, an epidemiologist for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services; and Julie Monroy, a pharmacy technician at the Walmart at Tropicana Avenue and Pecos Road.
In Clark County, Latinos have accounted for at least a third of COVID-19 cases but make up only 24% of vaccine recipients, according to the Health District.
Sensitivity to immigration status has figured into vaccination coverage in Latino communities, but federal and state leaders stress that undocumented immigrants should seek the shot without fear of deportation. Trusted community leaders have amplified the message and hosted their own smaller clinics to make shots more accessible.
Escutia has also partnered with Immunize Nevada to produce a series of short videos encouraging Mexican nationals to get vaccinated, regardless of immigration status.
“It doesn’t matter if you have papers or you don’t have papers. The vaccine is for everyone. Vaccination has nothing to do with migration,” Escutia said, speaking in Spanish.
Thursday’s telethon leads into a Weekend of Action hosted by Está En Tus Manos, Walmart and Mi Familia Vota. The campaign includes outreach in high-traffic locations to get people vaccinated at a Walmart-sponsored pop-up clinic.
Additionally, Clark County is hosting a Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday that will feature free food, music, entertainment, games and COVID-19 vaccinations. The event is at Bob Price Park and Recreation Center, 2100 Bonnie Lane. To schedule an appointment to get vaccinated, call 702-455-0696. Walk-ins will also be inoculated if enough vaccine doses are available.
