Las Vegas, NV (KXNT) - On Monday, Clark County and the Southern Nevada Health District, along with community partners, launched the "Back to Life" COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Campaign to encourage Black and African American residents in Clark County to get their COVID-19 vaccinations when they are eligible and to address disparities in access to the vaccine.
"African Americans comprise about 12.5 percent of Southern Nevada's population. As of March 19, only 5.7 percent (29,067) of the vaccine first doses administered in Clark County have been received by African Americans. It is almost half of what would be expected based on the proportion of African American among Clark County residents," said Dr. Fermin Leguen, District Health Officer. "This is a significant challenge for our vaccination campaign, and we must increase our efforts to ensure the vaccine is fully accessible to our African American communities."
According to the Southern Nevada Health District reports, the following ZIP codes have experienced the highest number of COVID-19 related cases since the beginning of the pandemic: 89110, 89108, 89115, 89030, 89121, 89031, 89032, and 89122.
The "Back to Life" campaign will be supported by the newly created Southern Nevada Black Coalition, a group of local medical professionals, elected officials, influencers, business, nonprofit, and faith leaders who will work together to educate community members and encourage more vaccinations, help dispel myths and build trust in local healthcare entities and assist in getting vaccinations to those who lack access and means.
Campaign materials include billboards, PSAs, flyers, and social media posts featuring images of African Americans getting back to life and enjoying a return to work, family, and normal activities with the message that residents can help our community beat COVID-19 by taking their shot.
The campaign's webpage, www.clarkcountynv.gov/backtolife, located on Clark County's website, includes downloadable materials for individuals and organizations wishing to support the effort and help spread awareness about the importance of vaccinations among the Black population. People can also follow @BacktoLifeSNV on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and use the hashtag #BacktoLifeSNV.
Minority community falling behind in vaccine percentage of population
