{"id":37270,"date":"2021-01-21T09:05:19","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T16:05:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=37270"},"modified":"2025-09-04T14:00:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T20:00:30","slug":"why-hes-urging-his-hispanic-community-to-get-covid-19-vaccine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/why-hes-urging-his-hispanic-community-to-get-covid-19-vaccine\/","title":{"rendered":"Why he&#8217;s urging his Hispanic community to get the COVID-19 vaccine"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_37302\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37302\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37302\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093435\/Ernesto-family-mural4-joel-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Ernesto and his two children. Ernesto is urging his Hispanic community to get the COVID-19 vaccine.\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093435\/Ernesto-family-mural4-joel-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093435\/Ernesto-family-mural4-joel-tiny-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093435\/Ernesto-family-mural4-joel-tiny-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093435\/Ernesto-family-mural4-joel-tiny-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093435\/Ernesto-family-mural4-joel-tiny-200x133.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37302\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ernesto and his two children. Ernesto, a social worker and COVID-19 survivor, is urging his Hispanic community to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong> <div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><strong>How to get your COVID-19 Vaccine\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>For information on getting COVID-19 vaccines through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\">UCHealth<\/a>, please click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/services\/infectious-diseases\/coronavirus-covid-19\/covid-19-vaccine\/\">here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>If you have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/access-my-health-connection\/\">My Health Connection account<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>you are added to the vaccine list and will automatically receive updates (by email and in the app) regarding the vaccine once it&#8217;s your turn to receive it.<\/li>\n<li>Governmental and health leaders with the <a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.colorado.gov\/covid-19\/data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>State of Colorado<\/strong><\/a> determine the order in which people can receive vaccines. For more information on priority groups click <strong><a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.colorado.gov\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>If you do not have a My Health Connection account<\/strong> or are new to UCHealth, <strong><a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/mychart.uchealth.org\/mychartebiz\/registration\/register\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sign up for an account<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>to be placed on our list to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it is <strong><a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/cdphe.colorado.gov\/covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">available for your phase, according to the state\u2019s plan<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>You <strong>do not need to be a current UCHealth patient<\/strong> to receive a vaccine through UCHealth.<\/li>\n<li><strong>You do need an appointment to receive a vaccine.<\/strong><strong><\/div><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"su-row\">\n<div class=\"su-column su-column-size-2-3\">\n<div class=\"su-column-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\">Ernesto Castro knows that many in his beloved Hispanic community are hesitant to get a vaccine to prevent COVID-19.\u00a0 As someone who spent two weeks on a ventilator fighting the virus, though, he jumped at the opportunity to be vaccinated.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI ran in there; I was so excited,\u201d Castro said of receiving the vaccine at a clinic offered by UCHealth and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sunrisecommunityhealth.org\/patients\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sunrise Community Health<\/a>. \u201cIf you know me, you know how much I hate shots, but I\u2019m proud to say I got it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As a social worker at Sunrise, a network of\u00a0health care clinics in northern Colorado, Castro spends hours listening to people. He knows many Hispanic people are skeptics who have fear based on misinformation.\u00a0 For Castro, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/grateful-to-be-alive-after-covid-19-ernesto-castro-lives-to-tell-story-about-life-on-a-ventilator\/\">nearly died from COVID-19<\/a>, the safe and effective vaccines seem heaven-sent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery day I\u2019m reminded what I went through,\u201d Castro said. \u201cCOVID-19 not only messed with me physically \u2014 months of follow-up with my providers and damage on my lungs \u2014 but it messed with me mentally, and I was diagnosed with PTSD after my release.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Educating the Hispanic community on safety and need for COVID-19 vaccines<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Castro, 35, has a girlfriend and two kids. He strives daily to help his community understand how to be safe during the pandemic, navigate health guidelines after contracting COVID-19 and filter misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. He\u2019s heard outlandish concerns, including talk that vaccines make women sterile or even alter a person\u2019s genetic makeup. Both are false.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly a year has passed since Castro contracted COVID-19. Even now, he measures his progress in \u201cgrains of sand.\u2019\u2019 He is still afraid to be around people who are not wearing masks and he fears large groups of people. After his release from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/locations\/uchealth-medical-center-of-the-rockies\/\">UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies<\/a>, Castro\u2019s father and mother, both in their 60s, contracted COVID-19.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37305\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37305\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37305\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093452\/Ernesto-parents-masksJoel2-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Gabriel and Martha P. Castro also contracted COVID-19 this summer. They too plan to get their vaccine when it becomes available to their age group. \" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093452\/Ernesto-parents-masksJoel2-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093452\/Ernesto-parents-masksJoel2-tiny-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093452\/Ernesto-parents-masksJoel2-tiny-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093452\/Ernesto-parents-masksJoel2-tiny-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093452\/Ernesto-parents-masksJoel2-tiny-200x133.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37305\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gabriel and Martha P. Castro also contracted COVID-19 this summer. They too plan to get their vaccine when it becomes available to their age group. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>His father, who has diabetes and has struggled with ailments brought on by the chronic disease, spent two weeks in a coma, during which time he suffered a stroke.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was even worse than I was \u2014 I was prepared to say good-bye,\u201d Castro said. \u201cOnce he woke up, it took another two weeks before he was able to somewhat have a conversation. We were told because of COVID-19, the coma and his stroke, they didn\u2019t know if he was ever going to be his normal self.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Mass vaccination clinic at Coors Field<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>UCHealth is expecting to vaccinate an estimated 10,000 people\u00a0Jan. 30 and Jan. 31\u00a0at a drive-thru vaccination clinic at Coors Field in Denver. Only individuals who have an appointment will receive a vaccination.<\/p>\n<p>UCHealth is partnering with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the city of Denver and the Colorado Rockies for this weekend\u2019s mass vaccination.<\/p>\n<p>About 1,000 people age 70 and older received a vaccine during a dry run of the clinic on Jan. 24 at Coors Field. Vaccine was given to people as they sat in their cars. After receiving a vaccination, individuals are asked to wait 15 being leaving the clinic. Only those who had an appointment were vaccinated. Shots were not given to people who showed up but did not have an appointment.<\/p>\n<p>For more information about how to receive a vaccination at UCHealth, please <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/services\/infectious-diseases\/coronavirus-covid-19\/covid-19-vaccine\/\">click here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><\/div><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While his father fought for his life in the hospital, his mother quarantined at home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs sick as she was, she won\u2019t admit how hard it hit her,\u201d Castro said. \u201cShe\u2019d say she didn\u2019t have time for this, she had to keep pushing the family forward.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Castro did not go near his parents after his release from the hospital. He made sure he stayed away from them in order to keep them safe. His father stays home because of his diabetes, but his mother works at the local JBS meat processing plant in Greeley.<\/p>\n<p>Starting in April, JBS had one of Colorado\u2019s largest and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weldgov.com\/departments\/health_and_environment\/2019_novel_coronavirus\/covid19_data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">deadliest workplace COVID-19 outbreaks<\/a> with 291 workers sickened and six deaths. The situation highlights why Hispanic and lower-income families have been struck so hard by the pandemic.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Latinos and lower-income families hit hard by pandemic<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37303\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37303\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37303\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093443\/Ernesto-masks-family-distance-house3Joel-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Ernesto Castro and his family are encouraging their Hispanic community to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. \" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093443\/Ernesto-masks-family-distance-house3Joel-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093443\/Ernesto-masks-family-distance-house3Joel-tiny-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093443\/Ernesto-masks-family-distance-house3Joel-tiny-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093443\/Ernesto-masks-family-distance-house3Joel-tiny-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/25093443\/Ernesto-masks-family-distance-house3Joel-tiny-200x133.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ernesto Castro and his family are encouraging their Hispanic community to get the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. Photo by Joel Blocker, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThey can\u2019t afford to take time off,\u201d Castro said of his clients at Sunrise, where at least 50% of clients are Hispanic. Most live below the federal poverty level &#8211; $26,200 annual income for a family of four. More than half speak Spanish as their first language;\u00a0a large refugee population in Weld County speaks East African languages.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey are barely able to afford appointments and medications, and now we tell them they need to take two weeks off (if asked to quarantine.) They don\u2019t have vacations or time off,\u201d Castro said.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Mark Wallace, chief clinical officer of Sunrise, said Hispanics and <a href=\"https:\/\/datausa.io\/profile\/geo\/weld-county-co#demographics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Weld County<\/a> has been hit hard by the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hispanic or Latinx persons represent 1.7 times the COVID-19 cases of White, non-Hispanic persons. Hispanics are 4.1 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19 and 2.8 times more likely to die from the virus, according to the CDC.<\/p>\n<p>Weld County has been one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weldgov.com\/departments\/health_and_environment\/2019_novel_coronavirus\/covid19_data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hardest-hit counties in Colorado<\/a> by the pandemic. Nearly 8% of the county\u2019s 324,492 population has had COVID-19 and 189 people have died.<\/p>\n<p>Like Castro\u2019s mother, many Weld County residents work at jobs considered essential and therefore have a greater risk of exposure. Hispanic families often live in multigenerational homes. Wallace said there is a communication gap and mistrust between government agencies and residents.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Understanding cultural differences and communication barriers during a pandemic<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Reaching this population is difficult under normal circumstances, but the virus has brought new challenges.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn a fundamental level, the words we started to use: isolation and quarantine, those are hard for those who speak English to even understand the difference and definitions. It\u2019s part of the language of health and public health but we have to make it culturally relevant,\u201d Wallace said.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, Eastern African and Asian families have a custom of eating communal meals, which are placed in the center of a table, for everyone to enjoy. Wallace\u2019s staff worked hard to explain that quarantine didn\u2019t just mean sleeping in separate rooms, but also not eating communal meals together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey have some customs that we have to be certain that we use words and translations so that their actions will match what we are trying to get across,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cWe did a lot of work quickly at the beginning of this pandemic to make our information culturally understandable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>His clinic also had to recognize the role poverty plays in communication.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf a family needs to isolate, but that family also lives in a home with 900 square feet with nine people, it\u2019s a very different definition. We have to talk about everyone wearing a mask, how to safely share communal bathrooms. We did a lot of work on not giving recommendations that they couldn\u2019t do, and then getting upset that the virus spread throughout their family,\u201d Wallace said.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines for all<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Making testing and vaccination clinics accessible is also a big consideration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe found if we were not in the neighborhoods where families lived, then it was hard for them to get to these sites,\u201d Wallace said. \u201cThat\u2019s where we must work across different community agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sunrise recently teamed up with UCHealth to host a three-day COVID-19 vaccine clinic where 1,000 of Sunrise\u2019s 70 and older clients received their first vaccinations.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37288\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37288\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37288 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21125837\/COVIDvaccine-Adela-Garcia-shot-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Adela Garcia, 83, a member of the Hispanic community inGreeley, Colorado, gets her COVID-19 vaccine, while her granddaughter, Marahi Lupio, watches.\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21125837\/COVIDvaccine-Adela-Garcia-shot-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21125837\/COVIDvaccine-Adela-Garcia-shot-tiny-300x219.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21125837\/COVIDvaccine-Adela-Garcia-shot-tiny-768x562.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21125837\/COVIDvaccine-Adela-Garcia-shot-tiny-150x110.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21125837\/COVIDvaccine-Adela-Garcia-shot-tiny-200x146.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37288\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Adela Garcia, 83, of Greeley, Colorado, gets her COVID-19 vaccine, while her granddaughter, Marahi Lupio, watches. Photo by Kati Blocker, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Among them was 83-year-old Adela Garcia. She has more than 30 grandchildren and said she was excited to get the vaccine in order to keep herself healthy. She also has relatives who have suffered from COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very happy but a little nervous,\u201d Garcia said while waiting for her vaccination. She worried she might have a rare allergic reaction to the vaccine, but after receiving the shot, she said she felt fine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel good,\u201d she said. \u201cActually, the vaccine didn\u2019t hurt but my arm is just a little sore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Marina Lopez, 85, also came to the clinic for her vaccine.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37289\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37289\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37289 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130112\/COVIDvaccine-Marina-Lopez-shot-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Marina Lopez, 85, part of the Hispanic community in Evans, Colorado, get's her COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic held by UCHealth and Aspen Community Health in Greeley. \" width=\"300\" height=\"205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130112\/COVIDvaccine-Marina-Lopez-shot-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130112\/COVIDvaccine-Marina-Lopez-shot-tiny-300x205.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130112\/COVIDvaccine-Marina-Lopez-shot-tiny-768x525.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130112\/COVIDvaccine-Marina-Lopez-shot-tiny-150x103.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130112\/COVIDvaccine-Marina-Lopez-shot-tiny-200x137.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37289\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marina Lopez, 85, of Evans, Colorado, gets her COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic held by UCHealth and Aspen Community Health in Greeley. Photo by Kati Blocker, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI got the call last week, I had been waiting for it and was really happy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Pablo Juarez was delighted to escort his grandparents, Jesus and Cruz Barrandey, to the clinic so they could receive the vaccine that protects against contracting COVID-19. The Barrandeys are citizens of the United States and have a small ranch in Chihuahua, Mexico. Juarez is use to spending time in the summers there with them but hasn\u2019t been able to because he wanted to keep his grandparents safe during the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Castro, the social worker, said that the sooner families are vaccinated, the quicker they\u2019ll be able to spend time with each other.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s time to take control, to push forward, to get the shot and maybe this time next year, we\u2019ll have spent the holidays with our families,\u201d Castro said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_37290\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-37290\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-37290\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130302\/COVIDvaccine-sunrise-Barrandey-outside-masks-tiny.webp\" alt=\"Members of the Greeley area Hispanic community, Jesus and Cruz Barrandey were thrilled to get their COVID-19 vaccine together during the vaccination clinic in Greeley.\" width=\"640\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130302\/COVIDvaccine-sunrise-Barrandey-outside-masks-tiny.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130302\/COVIDvaccine-sunrise-Barrandey-outside-masks-tiny-300x198.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130302\/COVIDvaccine-sunrise-Barrandey-outside-masks-tiny-768x507.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130302\/COVIDvaccine-sunrise-Barrandey-outside-masks-tiny-150x99.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/21130302\/COVIDvaccine-sunrise-Barrandey-outside-masks-tiny-200x132.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-37290\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jesus and Cruz Barrandey were thrilled to get their COVID-19 vaccine together during the vaccination clinic in Greeley. Photo by Kati Blocker, UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Health care experts say it is no time to be lax on taking precautions such as wearing a mask, washing your hands, staying 6 feet apart from people outside your household and avoiding large crowds. (<a href=\"https:\/\/uchealth.org\/today\/why-we-must-wear-masks-even-after-getting-the-covid-19-vaccine\/\">Read more about the dos and don\u2019ts after getting a COVID-19 vaccine<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s time to be kind to one another \u2014 to take care of ourselves but more importantly to take care of those around us,\u201d Castro said. \u201cMy kids almost lost a father. I almost lost a father.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTry your hardest to make sure you follow these protocols because it might be someone you care about that might not make it. I don\u2019t want anyone to experience that or face what I went through.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ernesto Castro knows that many in his beloved Hispanic community are hesitant to get a vaccine to prevent COVID-19.\u00a0 As someone who spent two weeks on a ventilator fighting the virus, though, he jumped at the opportunity to be vaccinated. \u201cI ran in there; I was so excited,\u201d Castro said of receiving the vaccine at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":37303,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[4750,4860,9069],"class_list":["post-37270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-access-to-care","tag-covid-19","tag-covid-19-vaccine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - 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