Vaccine tools are available in multiple languages
Language barriers have made it difficult for many non-English speaking communities in the U.S. to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Many online tools related to coronavirus prevention, restrictions and COVID-19 vaccines are available in English, but non-English speakers, many who are immigrants don’t receive the same outreach to overcome misinformation.
Latinos made up just 11.5% of vaccinated people in the first month of the vaccine rollout, despite being 3.2 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than white non-Hispanics, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To overcome the language barrier, government entities, as well as corporations and nonprofit groups, are publishing content in multiple languages.
Most states have Spanish versions of their plans on their websites, and the CDC and World Health Organization also offer Simplified Chinese, Korean, French and other languages.
Here’s a list of online tools related to the COVID-19 vaccine process:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC has websites related to COVID-19
information exclusively in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean.
The public health institute also has COVID-19 materials related to prevention, travel, vaccination and other topics available in Arabic, Creole, French, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Swahili, Thai, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese and other languages.
The CDC also has a YouTube channel where the agency posts videos in Spanish.
World Health Organization
WHO provides COVID-19-related information in Spanish, Russian, Arabic, French and Simplified Chinese. Users must go to the top right corner of the website and select their preferred language.
Website visitors also can select the continent they wish to read information from. Spanish speakers who select the Americas on the WHO website are directed to the Pan American Health Organization.
Food and Drug Administration
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a website exclusively in Spanish, as well as a YouTube video in Spanish related to COVID-19 vaccines.
The government entity also provides fact sheets related to coronavirus information in multiple languages including Simplified Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Hmong, Somali and others.
Telemundo
Comcast NBCUniversal’s Spanish broadcast channel, Telemundo, launched the Plan Your Vaccine awareness campaign, which provides news, information and resources in Spanish.
The platform, called Planifica Tu Vacuna, helps users identify the closest vaccination locations.
CVS
CVS, one of the main sites for COVID-19 vaccinations, has information on how to book an appointment available in Spanish through its website.
The website offers information on which states have CVS pharmacies stocked with vaccines.
As of March 2, CVS pharmacies in Florida, Texas New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico have vaccine doses available.
Walgreens
The pharmacy giant Walgreens has a website in Spanish that helps visitors book an appointment for vaccines in a nearby location.
Users also can sign up for vaccine updates in Spanish and check their eligibility.
GoodRx
The telemedicine platform GoodRx has information in Spanish on where people looking to get vaccinated can go.
Visitors will see a map and can choose their respective states to see what locations are offering vaccines.
Walmart
Spanish speakers looking to book their appointment to receive a vaccine at Walmart can visit their website in Spanish.
The retail giant’s website provides a map where users can select the nearest Walmart and book their appointment, as well as read information about the coronavirus vaccines.
Publix
The grocery chain also provides information in Spanish about how to book a vaccine appointment at one of their locations.
Their website also provides information related to vaccines and instructions on what to do before arriving for their appointment.