The Department of Health and Human Services has released another $66.5 million toward community-based vaccination outreach programs across 38 states and the District of Columbia, according to a Tuesday announcement.
These awards are the fourth wave of American Rescue Plan funding and is intended to develop and support a community-based workforce able to reach those living in vulnerable and medically underserved communities.
Although initially announced as a $250 million investment, the latest round of awards bring the administration’s total to nearly $390 million.
“Building vaccine confidence is critical to increasing vaccinations, which remains so important as we encourage boosters and kids’ vaccinations,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. "This investment by the Biden-Harris Administration further expands our progress in partnering with trusted local messengers to deliver needed information on COVID-19 vaccines. This funding will help even more community-based organizations build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine among people in their community who may not have been vaccinated yet.”
Distributed through the department’s Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the money supports local partnerships and activities such as mobile vaccination clinics for farm workers, partnerships with Black churches and deployments of community outreach workers fluent in multiple languages.
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Alongside building confidence in the vaccines across diverse and underserved communities, these efforts look to address vaccine access issues for those with transportation difficulties, developmental and physical disabilities or other barriers, according to the administration.
“Through this initiative, HRSA is able to support trusted community messengers in their work to help individuals and families get the answers they need to make informed decisions about vaccination,” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson said in a statement. “These awards will expand the reach of our community-based programs to support vaccination information and outreach.”
HRSA awarded the $66.5 million to eight organizations:
- The Association of Asian/Pacific Community Health Organizations in San Francisco ($9.9 million)
- The Center for Global Health Innovation in Atlanta ($9.9 million)
- Eyes NJ in Fairfield, New Jersey ($6.3 million)
- The Medi in Charleston, South Carolina ($2.2 million)
- The Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta ($9.7 million)
- Project Hope-The-People-To-People Health Foundation in Washington, D.C. ($8.8 million)
- Public Health Institute in Oakland, California ($9.9 million)
- University of Arkansas System in Little Rock, Arkansas ($9.9 million)