Have questions about the COVID vaccine? Ask bilingual California nurses live for free

Sacramento-based La Familia Counseling Center and HealthImpact, a nursing non-profit, are helping to bring vaccine information to Hispanic communities across Sacramento County and California through their “Ask a Nurse LIVE” program.

Residents can chat with an English and Spanish-speaking registered nurse from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday by going onto the program website. Individuals and parents can ask confidential questions about the vaccine and COVID-19, and get scientific answers from nurses via video conferencing.

The volunteer nurses are from the American Nurses Association and are trained in providing safe and evidence-based information, according to the organizations.

“Culturally responsive information is a critical step in creating vaccine confidence and improving vaccination rates in our community,” said Rachel Rios, the executive director of La Familia Counseling Center, in a statement.

Currently, about 46% of Hispanic people are at least partially vaccinated in Sacramento County. In total, 64.6% of the county is at least partially vaccinated.

Hispanic adolescents are more likely to be infected with COVID, and older Latino and Black children have higher rates of COVID-related hospitalization, according to previous Bee reporting.

And with winter approaching, a surge is expected, as a new variant has been identified. Health officials are urging everyone over 5 years of age to get their vaccines and if eligible, get their booster shots too.

“From the start of the pandemic, HealthImpact’s team of interdisciplinary health professionals have been instrumental in our organization’s ability to offer vaccination clinics for Sacramento County’s underserved population,” Rios said. “Now, we’re continuing our partnership by bringing the Ask a Nurse LIVE program to Latino families who have concerns or want more information about the vaccine.”

To learn more about the free program or to sign up, you can visit its website.

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