HAMPTON, Va. — The Hispanic Resource Center of Coastal Virginia said one of its goals, every day, is to help educate the public on the COVID-19 vaccine, so fewer people are misinformed or afraid to receive it.
Recently, a spokesperson for the center said they've seen a few people here and there simply not show up for their vaccine appointments. They said others are sometimes delaying it, when their personal lives keep them busy.
"Occasionally, they are not showing up, yes," said Patricia Bracknell, the center's outreach director. "The reason can be many, because we don't have firsthand information... but we do have a suspicion that it's due to a lot of misinformation being read on social media."
Bracknell said she made it her mission to make sure people were well-informed. She said getting a scheduled COVID-19 vaccine dose was an individual responsibility.
"There is such a dire need of it... and we have it," said Bracknell. "We have it now available, so let's take care of it. It's life for some people, so we shouldn't be wasting it."
Bracknell explained that the Hispanic population already struggles with access to the vaccine and high COVID-19 rates. The latest CDC data said 18.2-percent of U.S. COVID-19 deaths were among Latinos.
Bracknell said wasting that second dose was wasting the opportunity to help the community.
"There's not a system that tracks undocumented families or individuals for those medical conditions," Bracknell explained. "So, we are going after it as if everyone is in high need of this."
The CDC said you can wait up until a maximum of 42 days to get your second dose, but the sooner you get it, the more effective the vaccine will be. The recommended time is three to four weeks, depending on which vaccine you receive.
The Hispanic Resource Center for Coastal Virginia is holding a morning vaccination clinic in Newport News on March 5, at Ivy Baptist Church.
For more information or to donate, you can visit their website.