spotlight
The Vaccine Engagement Team boosts Vaccine Confidence in North York
The Vaccine Engagement Team (VET) played a key role in building vaccine confidence among newcomer communities in North York. Learn how they helped get Toronto Vaccinated.
With conflicting information about COVID-19 and the vaccine, some Torontonians don’t know who to trust or where to access reliable information. This can impact decisions on whether or not someone chooses to get vaccinated.
Although most Toronto residents have now been vaccinated, some of the most marginalized communities that North York Community House (NYCH) work with are still grappling with whether or not they should get the shots; how to access vaccines; and misinformation surrounding COVID-19 and the vaccine that protects against it.
NYCH and Working Women Community Centre teamed up to lead the North York Vaccine Engagement Team (VET) Project which involves 17 community, grassroots, and non-governmental organizations. Together, they are the North York VET. Each project partner works with different populations and different neighbourhoods to ensure effective outreach that covers ground. VET, as a whole, is a City-funded initiative that spans the city with almost 300 VET Ambassadors supporting this project.
VET used Toronto Public Health data to identify the most vulnerable communities. This allowed them to narrow their focus and address the needs of the communities most in need of support.
Sabrin Daghaishe, who leads the NYCH branch as the Project Coordinator, says, “The purpose of the VET project is to increase vaccine confidence amongst the most vulnerable communities in the city of Toronto.”
North York VET heavily relies on 26 VET Ambassadors—community leaders who are connected with project partners. The team has connected with tens of thousands of community members since the project launched in May 2021, says Sabrin. VET Ambassadors offer language services, support, and information to those who require it. Ambassadors also support community members by walking them through the process of getting vaccinated and connecting them with healthcare partners.
Everyone shares the same purpose of returning to a semblance of normalcy, explains Sabrin. VET Ambassadors bring much conviction and passion to their roles in serving this goal. These community leaders are active volunteers in their down time, are well connected to their communities, and are mentors to their neighbours. This helps build trust between organizations like NYCH and community members.
“VET Ambassadors help community members access vaccines, reduce barriers, and answer questions and concerns. They have been doing such an amazing job!” — Sabrin Daghaishe
Many of the community members that the North York VET supports are newcomers, immigrants, and refugees. Some of these individuals are coming from backgrounds where they do not trust the political systems in their home countries and may feel reluctant to trust the vaccine because of their experiences. Others have already decided to get vaccinated but need support as they face language barriers. Some are undecided and want to discuss the matter with a trusted professional.
The North York VET offers reliable, trustworthy information in various languages so these barriers can be overcome. NYCH, Working Women, various community organizers, and their partners ensure that the Ambassadors who are working within North York have up-to-date, relevant, and trustworthy information about the virus and vaccine.
The North York VET continues to help those who are interested come to an informed decision on their own while guiding community members through the process of understanding the virus, the vaccine, and how to get vaccinated.