- Author: Ricardo Vela
- Author: Pam Kan-Rice
For the third consecutive year, UC ANR is leading a critical vaccination campaign funded by the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching and Engagement initiative. Amira R. Resnick, UC ANR's statewide director of community nutrition and health, is leading the EXCITE project, which is dedicated to addressing misinformation in California's most vulnerable communities.
This winter, she is focused on increasing vaccination rates among adults in disadvantaged populations, particularly farmworkers and individuals employed in janitorial and cleaning services throughout the Merced and Fresno regions.
The initiative emphasizes the importance of flu and COVID-19 immunizations, underscoring vaccination as a key measure for protecting health during the colder months. Communications are designed to resonate with these communities, using language and messaging that align with their values and concerns.
“Since family is a cornerstone for Latino culture, our main message will focus on keeping loved ones safe,” said Ricardo Vela, manager of UC ANR News & Information Outreach in Spanish, who is working with Resnick on EXCITE.
Recognizing the rich cultural diversity within these populations, the campaign will feature content in Mixteco, a Mexican Indigenous language, across various media platforms, including social media, streaming television and radio.
Many families in these communities are originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, and predominantly speak their native languages, with limited or no proficiency in Spanish. This culturally tailored approach ensures that vital health information is accessible to those who need it most.
In addition to the external vaccination campaign, UC ANR has developed an internal initiative aimed at engaging its own professionals.
“Through this campaign, we are not only working to safeguard public health, but also encouraging UC ANR and Extension professionals to serve as role models in vaccine advocacy and health education within their own communities. Leadership starts with us,” said Resnick.
“Our objective is not just to reach diverse audiences, but to engage them meaningfully by using clear, inclusive and compassionate communication,”Resnick added.
WSU creates EXCITE Toolkit
The Washington State University EXCITE team has enhanced their toolkit based on feedback. These updates aim to make the toolkit even more effective for Extension professionals.
Getting to the Heart and Mind of the Matter: A Toolkit to Build Confidence as a Trusted Messenger of Health Information was developed by the WSU EXCITE team: Erica W. Austin, Bruce William Austin, Paul David Bolls, Zena Marie Edwards, Shawn K. Domgaard, Di Mu, Nicole H. O'Donnel, Courtney Payne, Pamela Rose and Anya Sheftel.
This toolkit is designed to empower all Extension professionals to be confident, informed participants in vaccine and health education initiatives within their communities. Its focus isn't just on what to communicate, but more importantly, on how to communicate effectively with different audiences. Backed by research and grounded in theory, the multidisciplinary approach of this toolkit emphasizes the role of both emotion and reason in behavior change communication.
The 5th edition of the toolkit is now available for free download.
This updated version includes key additions, such as the integration of health equity, techniques for conducting motivational interviewing in group settings, applying science media literacy for real-time fact-checking, and showcasing effective outreach with a focus on social media strategies.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
An informational campaign to raise awareness of COVID-19 and Influenza vaccination among migrant workers who speak Mexican indigenous languages has been created by Ricardo Vela, manager of News and Information Outreach in Spanish; Amira Resnick, statewide director of Community Nutrition and Health; and Irene Padasas, UC Cooperative Extension community nutrition and health advisor for Tulare, Kings, Fresno and Madera counties.
The project is part of the Extension Collaborative on Immunization Teaching & Engagement or EXCITE. The interagency agreement with the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds the Cooperative Extension System to address health disparities among rural and other underserved communities.
UC ANR successfully conducted a COVID-19 vaccination awareness campaign in Spanish and several Mexican indigenous languages in 2022. The “¡Vacunate Ya!” Reaching the Vulnerable campaign partnered with news and community organizations to reach more than 350,000 people in targeted areas of California where Mexican migrant indigenous families live and work.
“This initiative, akin to previous years, prioritizes communication in their native language and will be disseminated via radio, TV and social media platforms within and around Fresno County,” Vela said. “We are fortunate to have established partnerships with UCSF Medical School in Fresno and the Fresno County Department of Health to further support this effort.”
The current vaccination awareness campaign uses the language of comfort of Mixtecos and Zapotecos of Oaxaca, Totonacas of Veracruz, Nahuas of Guerrero, and Purépechas in Michoacán, who all together account for 5% to 7% of the agricultural workforce in California.
In addition to advertisements for Mexican communities, UC ANR employees are asked to promote vaccination in newsletters and on social media.
“This time, EXCITE has requested that, in conjunction with the external campaign, we run a smaller internal vaccination campaign,” Vela said. “Thus, I am requesting your support to make it happen. All you have to do is help us spread the word by placing one or more graphics in your newsletter and program or employee social media pages.”
Images can be downloaded at https://app.box.com/s/8ub56opoox3mwx0wsa0mtb992xold8pj.
