“Opinion: To vaccinate refugees, shame won’t work. Engagement that considers trauma will.”

In an opinion article written by Valerie Nash of the San Diego Tribune, Nash stressed the importance that using a trauma-informed approach is key for refugees to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

A trauma-informed approach is needed to move some vaccine-hesitant individuals from a fight, flee or freeze state to one of comfort, confidence and action.

How can this be done effectively? The San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition models how they have used this approach when hosting events that focus on a particular refugee or immigrant community. They have found the most success by providing culturally relevant services and products that accompany vaccinations. Bilingual community support personnel were present to answers questions, clarify vaccination misinformation, and provide information about any resources and/or programs that the community members were interested in.

Click on the Learn more button below for more information on the importance of using a trauma-informed approach and creative ideas on hosting vaccine events.