LOS ANGELES — Women in Boyle Heights are knocking on doors to encourage their neighbors to get vaccinated.
"Promotoras," or community health workers, are working where they live as part of University of Southern California's Community Vaccine Navigators program.
Maria Altamira goes from house to house waiting for residents at places like Ramona Gardens public housing to open the door and open their minds to the idea of getting vaccinated.
“I’m actually a resident of Ramona Gardens myself, and I really like to help out the community,” Altamira said.
Altamira received training and a stipend to encourage her neighbors to get the vaccine. Just over 63% of Boyle Heights residents ages 16 and up are vaccinated and 43% of youth.
Lots of doors go unanswered. Some have already had visits and others have already received the vaccine. Altamira keeps moving in memory of another promotora named Liliana Martines, her best friend who passed away last month. Altimara carried on in her honor.
Altamira walks around three days a week with Emma Gonzalez by her side. Emma also lives in Boyle Heights, and for her, the work is personal: Her older kids got COVID-19.
“They had to work, they had to continue to work and they actually got COVID there at work,” Emma said. “I had to take care of them. Thank goodness I didn’t get COVID but that was very hard.”
Now, they do the hard work of knocking on doors and knocking out misinformation.
“They don’t feel ready or prepared. There’s a lot of myths about the vaccine,” Altamira said. “But we have to be persistent and keep giving them the information because that’s really what’s going to help them get the vaccine.”
Altimara's neighbor, Genoveva Gonzalez, hasn’t gotten the vaccine because to her, it doesn’t seem to be helping.
"People who are vaccinated as well, but they are still in the hospital, and there is still a lot of contamination," Genoveva said. "So I don’t know if they know what they are promoting or really putting out here on our body because I’m not gonna be a guinea pig."
After talking to Altamira, Genoveva said she may decide to get the shot because she’s a caregiver.
“When it comes to mandatory then I have to and I have to go to work,” Genoveva said. “I’m gonna have to take it.”
Altamira walked away happy after hearing that she may soon get a dose.
“Even with this visit, it’s like she is now thinking about it, and she feels a little more comfortable, and I really think she’s going to get the vaccine,” Altamira said.
Residents can get vaccinated at nearby clinics including Keck Medical Center and Clinica Romero.