Researchers from CBAM and Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science collaborated on a recent report entitled, Equity and Access: A Roadmap to Improving Vaccination Equity in South Los Angeles. This report provides insights on how to reach communities of color and the underserved to educate, build trust, and disseminate vaccines in South Los Angeles given historical experiences with medical mistrust. The findings from this report are based on data collected from three key groups in South Los Angeles: community members (i.e., essential workers), community groups & leaders (i.e., clergy, faith-based leaders, and leaders of community-based organizations policy makers), and clinical providers in South Los Angeles.
The goals of this project were to:

• Facilitate community, public, private, and governmental partnerships to reduce COVID-19 vaccine inequity.
• Educate communities of color in South LA about the COVID-19 vaccines through virtual town halls.
• Navigate communities of color in South LA on how to access available COVID-19 vaccines.

In listening to affected communities and those who serve them, we were able to identify factors that impacted the initial roll out of vaccines in Black and Latina/o/x communities. These findings are intended to guide future policies that fund and provide access to health prevention services for community agencies and clinics in South Los Angeles. Funding for this work was provided through a grant from the California Community Foundation.

To read the report in its entirety, click here

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CBAM is a multidisciplinary center that seeks to advance the prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses, especially in communities with health disparities. As part of the UCLA Department of Family Medicine, CBAM works at the intersection of academia and community with a focus on treating addictions and preventing the spread of HIV.

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