In an effort to share information on COVID-19 vaccines, the City of San Antonio’s health department team is continuing to canvassing neighborhoods this year.
With Omicron cases surging, the city’s Community Health and Prevention team says it’s critical to continue reaching out to the community and talking to residents living near vaccination clinics and in neighborhoods with lower vaccination rates.
The team gathered at the Benavides Learning Center Monday morning to discuss ways they will provide COVID vaccine information to the community.
“We’ve seen a lot of reaction from people, people that haven’t heard about the vaccine or where to get it,” said Val De Leon, a Community Health and Prevention team supervisor.
Last year, the team went door to door to provide information. This year, the team will be handing out fliers to people walking in the streets.
“Every time we have a clinic set up like one of our mobile clinics, it’s our job to kind of go out and march the streets and make sure that we put a flier in everybody’s hand who does not have a vaccine,” Nathanael Gonzalez, a Community and Prevention team member said.
Gonzalez joined the team in 2020 and said while canvassing, they try to answer as many vaccine questions as possible.
“Is it safe? Which ones do we have? Is that one shot, two shots? What are some side effects, some of the symptoms that you know I can expect to feel once getting it,” Gonzalez said.
The team will be canvassing in neighborhoods later this week with a goal of handing out more than 1,000 fliers.
“The people that have not gotten vaccinated, their biggest thing, a lot of them is they want to wait and see,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said some people have conspiracy theories about the vaccine.
“We have their conspiracy theories and that’s fine. You know, we’re not there to push it on anybody or force it on anybody. We’re just there to be a resource to the community,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez is thankful he can be a part of something impacting so many lives.
“It’s a good feeling to be able to go out into your community and help them and provide a resource that they probably need,” Gonzalez said.