Reaching out to vaccinate communities with barriers to care

Heart to Heart International has administered almost 2,000 COVID-19 vaccines to people throughout the Kansas City community, focusing especially on those who have trouble accessing health care. Some of the barriers people face for access include transportation, language and technology.

On Saturday, April 23, a COVID-19 vaccination event was held at Heart to Heart International headquarters in conjunction with Juntos Center for Advancing Latino Health. This event was specifically aimed at the Spanish-speaking population who may have had trouble accessing vaccines elsewhere. The event was promoted on Univison Kansas City to try to reach the Latino community.

In the first six weeks of HHI’s vaccination efforts, HHI has with more than 50 organizations, provided vaccines in 26 locations, and vaccinated 1,888 individuals. Some of the hard-to-reach groups include those in congregate shelters, senior care residents, and people experiencing homelessness. To reach those who face other barriers to accessing vaccines, HHI has partnered with the Salvation Army, ReStart, Guadalupe Center, Juntos Center for Advancing Health, Kansas City Center for Inclusion, Head Start, Ethiopian Community Organization, and more.

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