In an effort to get the Hispanic community in Kansas vaccinated against COVID-19, Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission (KHLAAC) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) have developed the unique campaign “Por Los Nuestros” Voices of Our Community, directed at the Hispanic “Kanseños” who represent 12.2% of the total population. The campaign will be implemented as of June 28 until August 30, 2021.
Former Mexican soccer legend, FOX Deportes soccer analyst, and international celebrity Claudio Suárez “El Emperador” (the Emperor) has joined the campaign to spread awareness and a message of action within the Hispanic community.
“While we’ve made progress to get vaccines to Hispanic communities across Kansas, we know there is more work to do,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I want to thank all of our partners and Claudio Suárez for working together to fight this virus and to keep Kansans safe and healthy.”
Like any other ethnic and racial group, Hispanics are looking forward to “getting back to normal.” However, there are still issues with misinformation, mistrust, misperception, and accessibility, affecting the vaccination rates among Hispanics. The main objective of the campaign is to educate the communities with a direct and clear message in which the benefits of getting vaccinated are promoted by celebrating the great events that culturally define Hispanics, such as family activities, “quinceañeras” (a 15th birthday celebration), weddings, and sports which unifies most Hispanics.
“Hispanics are vaccinating at a much lower rate than their General Market counterparts are, and Kansas is no exception,” Dr. Ximena Garcia, Senior Advisor for the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Taskforce under Kansas Governor Laura Kelly added. “According to the CDC, Hispanics are twice as likely to be infected, three times more at risk to be hospitalized for COVID-19. There is no question that COVID-19 has ravaged the Hispanic community across the USA and beyond leaving a sense of defeat, mental and physical fatigue among this community. It’s time to take action and get vaccinated.”
“Our commitment to promoting the well-being and quality of life of the Kanseños has always been our priority,” Audé Negrete, Executive Director of KHLAAC said. “‘Por Los Nuestros’ Voices of our Community is a way of showing them that they are not alone and we want to offer them all possible resources for their vaccination, to promote the health of all Hispanic families in Kansas.”
For general information on the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccination centers, schedules, availability, and eligibility visit: www.kansasvaccine.gov
Vaccination Events:
Mon, June 28th: Liberal City: Liberal Recreational Center – 950 S Grant Ave, Liberal, KS 67901
Tue, June 29th: Dodge City: St. Mary’s Soccer Complex – 236 San Jose Dr., Dodge City, KS 67801
Wed, June 30th: Wichita City: Evergreen Community Center – 2700 Woodland N, Wichita, KS 67204
Thu, July 1st: Kiwanis Park – 5101 W 2 St., Wichita, KS 67212
About KHLAAC:
The Kansas Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission (KHLAAC) is proud to be part of the Governor’s Office. The Commission serves as the liaison between the Governor’s Office and the Hispanic and Latin American community in Kansas. The Commission is in charge of attending to public rights mainly related to education, health, and business. The Commission works closely with the Kansas Hispanic community, the American Latino Legislative Caucus, and other state agencies to improve the lives of all Kansas citizens.