Civic

Language barriers and a largely online scheduling system make it difficult for monolingual non-English speakers and people who aren’t digital natives, often seniors, to access the vaccines that they’re eligible for. So a local organization serving primarily Asian American seniors is advocating for improved access to vaccines, and bringing doctors who can administer vaccines to the seniors who need them. Anni Chung, CEO and president of Self-Help for the Elderly, explains how they're getting seniors vaccinated.

While attention has shifted to mass vaccinations, the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco remain focused on finding therapies to treat COVID-19 and defeat future Coronaviruses.

Grocery store workers are the latest to be eligible for vaccination. As part of our “Essential Worker” series we spoke with Jim Araby, director of strategic campaigns for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 5 about how they are trying to get their 28,000 members vaccinated and why they are fighting for hazard pay during the remaining days of the pandemic.

In addition to mass vaccination sites and pharmacy megachains, coronavirus vaccine is being distributed by community clinics that serve populations where they’ve built strong connections and trust — through language and cultural competency or by serving low-income families. North East Medical Services has multiple clinics in San Francisco and around the Bay Area, serving some 70,000 patients, many of whom are low-income Chinese speakers. Dr. Kenneth Tai, chief health officer, and Jessica Ho, government affairs and community liaison, talk about NEMS' vaccine distribution strategy.

Even for those eligible, it has been difficult to navigate the various coronavirus vaccine sign-up, notification, and appointment systems. In response to the disjointed publication of information from various clinics, providers, and governments, a group of volunteers with some technical know-how got together to build a statewide resource for finding vaccine appointments. What began as a spreadsheet is now a website, VaccinateCA. Zoelle Egner, one of the co-organizers of VaccinateCA, and Carroll Lachnit, a phone banker for the project, talk about how it works and how it's unfolded.

People who provide services to homeless individuals and families have become essential workers during the pandemic, often doing their jobs in person rather than from home. While they have been considered health workers and thus eligible for a vaccine, some have struggled to get them, even being turned away from the city’s vaccination site at Moscone Center. Mary Kate Bacalao, director of external affairs and policy at Compass Family Services and co-chair of the Homeless Emergency Service Providers Association, talks about how workers in the sector have experienced the process of figuring out their eligibility for a vaccine and receiving one.

The vast majority of staff and residents at the San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living, one of the largest nursing homes in the region, have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. 94% of staff and 97% of residents have received the vaccine. The facility’s director of nursing and clinical operations, Peggy Cmiel, explains how this was done.

A series of violent crimes against Asian seniors in the Bay Area have sparked concern and calls to action, and a coalition of community groups organized public gatherings in San Francisco and Oakland this weekend to emphasize the need for additional resources and services to advance public safety. Lai Wa Wu, policy and alliance director at the Chinese Progressive Association, and Sara Wan, executive director of Community Youth Center, explain how community based groups have been responding to violence.