New Jersey Latino Groups, Docs Try To Boost COVID Vaccine Numbers

NEWARK, NJ — Medical experts with RWJBarnabas Health will reach out to a group of New Jerseyans who have seen disproportionate deaths from the coronavirus – Hispanic and Latinx residents – with a free vaccine webinar on Tuesday, June 22.

The webinar will be hosted in Spanish from 6 to 6:45 p.m., and is open to the public. It will feature a 15-minute Q&A segment. Anyone interested in attending can register online here.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit Black and Brown communities particularly hard. According to a WNYC News report, Latino men account for nearly half of the confirmed coronavirus fatalities among adults under 50 in New Jersey, even though they make up just 12 percent of this group.

More than 4.6 million New Jerseyans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of Wednesday. But according to department of health data, only 14 percent are Hispanic/Latinx. It’s a troubling statistic in a state where Hispanic residents make up about 21 percent of the population, advocates say.

• See related article: Jersey City Struggles With Racial Disparity In Vaccinations

DeAnna Minus-Vincent, an executive with RWJBarnabas Health, said Tuesday’s webinar is a way to help reassure the Latinx community that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for all people.

RWJBarnabas Health is partnering with several groups to hold the webinar, including the Hudson County Latino Foundation, the City of Newark Hispanic Commission, the NJ Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Puerto Rican Parade Committee, the West Orange Hispanic Foundation, and the Latino Action Network Foundation.

The panel will feature Jose R. Bustillo, D.O., Internal Medicine, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center; Juan C. Baez, M.D., Infectious Disease, RWJ University Hospital Rahway; David Flores, M.D., Pulmonary Medicine, Jersey City Medical Center; Luis Espina, M.D., Family Medicine, Clara Maass Medical Center; and Vanessa Trespalacios, M.D., Internal Medicine, Saint Barnabas Medical Center.

• See related article: More Black, Hispanic Voters In NJ Willing To Get Vaccine (POLL)
• See related article: Coronavirus Is Exposing Racial Gaps In NJ, Advocates Say

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