PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Organizers of a South Philadelphia vaccination clinic took special measures to help 100 members of the city’s Southeast Asian immigrant community have a good experience with their first COVID-19 shots.
The Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Associations Coalition, or SEAMAAC, brought translators fluent in four Asian languages to the Bok Building, where the clinic was set up on Friday.
Tri Lam, SEAMAAC operations director, says for many of the people who live in South Philadelphia’s immigrant community, getting vaccinated in Center City was almost unfathomable.
“In terms of making sure they get transported on time, and here’s a deep language barrier that we had to tackle," he said.
And Lam says they also had to consider socioeconomic status to overcome barriers.
"To be able to take off on a Friday, when they have to go to work, when they have to take care of children, when they’re not comfortable getting to a location, it’s daunting," he said. "And not knowing whether or not there’s going to be translation, that’s also a scary factor."
Language assistance was available for speakers of Indonesian, Vietnamese, Burmese and Chinese dialects.
Yenny Trianawati, who came to get vaccinated, says communication is a huge barrier, particularly for the elderly.
"Without the correct understanding, they feel scared," she said.
Pan Shi Xiang, 70, was assigned a translator when she arrived. She says prior to this clinic, her friends relied on family members to help secure appointments.
"The kids will help their parents to kind of navigate those barriers," she said, through her translator.
She described the process through that translator.
"They greet you at the door, and someone will bring you to the waiting area, and then someone will bring you to get the vaccination. Someone accompanies you through the whole process, so it’s very smooth."
Henry Sentoso had an Indonesian translator nearby after getting his first shot, but he didn’t need her to describe how he felt.
"Yeah, I feel good," he said.
Lam adds, it’s important for residents to not only get vaccinated, but to also have a positive experience.
"Our goal is to answer any questions to stop the misinformation about vaccinations," he said. "The other component would be to encourage people to have a positive experience so that they can tell their friends and family."
Lam says the effort is vital for the community, "and we’re going to push forward to get our community members vaccinated, no matter what.”