June 28, 2021
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
CONTACT: Karina Martinez 858/752-1262 or [email protected]
CNC EF Hosts California Youth Vaccination Virtual Community Forum
WHAT: Communities for a New California Education Fund (CNC EF) is hosting a virtual COVID-19 youth vaccination forum for parents with participants representing California regions from Coachella to Sacramento on Tuesday, June 29th at 7:00 PM. Nathalie Vera, Emmy award-winning bilingual journalist for CBS 47 Fresno and KSEE 24 will be the moderator. Monica Morales, MPA, from the California Department of Public Health will share about the Safe Schools for All Parent Engagement Campaign focusing on public health and safety mitigation measures needed to safely open schools, and local Merced medic, Dr. Sandoval will also be providing a short health presentation on the effects of COVID-19 on children. CNC has also invited local elected officials from Coachella to Sacramento to join the forum as listening participants. This forum will be held in English and broadcast live via CNC Ed Fund Facebook.
The virtual youth vaccination forum is the fourth of an ongoing series of virtual events hosted by CNC to shed light on community concerns. This discussion is focused on parental trust, perceptions, and doubts regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine eligibility was expanded to protect children ages 12 and up in May and in the weeks since it’s been available, an estimated 27.5 percent of 12 to 15-year-olds across California have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 30 percent of 16 and 17-year-olds in just the first month of eligibility. But vaccine access and equity remain an issue; the COVID-19 Youth Vaccination Forum will help understand and address the concerns of parents, especially those in the Central Valley and other under-vaccinated regions. Through this forum, CNC aims to support parents and guardians in their journey to household vaccination.
The topics for this forum include:
- Motivations for vaccinating / not vaccinating children
- Concerns about returning to school and in-person learning
- Obstacles to getting children vaccinated
WHEN: Tuesday, June 29th, 2020 at 6:30 PM
WHERE: Communities for a New California Facebook Page @CNCEdFund
WHY: Vaccination rates in the Coachella and Central Valley remain below the state average. As Vaccine eligibility expands, we need information from residents to support outreach efforts and vaccination programs.
WHO: Panelists include parents representing statewide regions, representatives from the California Department of Public Health, local Merced medic, Dr. Sandoval, and elected officials from Coachella, Fresno, Merced, and Hanford will be present during the forum.
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Communities for a New California Education Fund is building a new power in the San Joaquin, Central, and Imperial valleys by inspiring working-class Californians to engage, activate and fight for social change in their communities. With the help of staff and volunteers from the very communities we serve, CNC EF organizes and educates residents about policy issues that impact our rural families and organize to improve our neighborhoods.