The grassroots and paid advertising campaign aims to engage residents who may be hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to Hidalgo’s office, the campaign is entitled “Stay Smart, Do Your Part” and emphasizes the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
RELATED: New Figures Show Black, Hispanic Communities Are Under-vaccinated
Recently released vaccine data from Harris County shows that black and Hispanic communities are undervaccinated.
Available data shows that 48.3% of vaccinated residents in Houston and Harris County are White, 13.4% Asian, 12.45 Black, 11.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 14% are listed as “other “, according to city data. When comparing those percentages to the population of each race across the country, more White and Asian residents are vaccinated compared to Hispanic and Black residents.
The City of Houston Health Department says Hispanics are responsible for 55% of COVID-19 deaths, compared to 21% of blacks and 18% of Caucasians and 5.5% of Asians.
CDC data across the country shows that, compared to Caucasians, Hispanics are 1.7 times more likely to get COVID-19, four times more likely to end up in the hospital, and nearly three times more likely to die .
A University of Houston study found that one-third of Texans are likely to refuse a COVID-19 vaccine, and that reticence is especially true in communities of color.
The study comes because CDC data recently revealed that of those vaccinated in the first month, only 11% were Hispanic, five percent Black, and six percent Asian.
SEE ALSO: How Access Coupled with Mistrust Affects Spanish Communities Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine
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