This week, California added five more languages to its central vaccination scheduling system in an effort to continue expanding access.
The MyTurn website is now available in Armenian, Russian, Khmer, Punjabi and Japanese, making the scheduling platform available in 12 languages total.
Expanding language access is not a simple task. It can be difficult enough making COVID-19 information and resources easy to access and understand in English; translating it into another language requires the same level of effort and care.
Mara Youdelman is managing attorney for the National Health Law Program's D.C. offices. She said that even high tech translation tools are not foolproof.
"There was actually a website from the Virginia Department of Health that used an automated translation system and was telling Spanish readers they actually didn't need a vaccine, the exact opposite of the message."
Phone systems pose similar problems as well.
"Really, we need to get people to an individual who can help identify what language is needed and then help connect them with an interpreter," said Youdelman of helplines.
Making this information and appointment tools easily available in more languages is a key strategy to increase vaccinations.
"We've certainly seen hesitancy in the English speaking population and once they understand that the vaccines are safe and the process that we've used to develop them, we've seen the interest in getting vaccines go way up," she said. "I think we're just a lot farther behind when we're trying to communicate with limited English proficient individuals."
And getting as many people vaccinated as possible is the only way to fully move past the pandemic.
