Experiences with racism and discrimination can contribute to mistrust of the health care system among racial and ethnic minority groups, leading to mistrust of factual information on vaccines and boosters. OMH and its Give Your Community a Boost! theme supports the U.S. Surgeon General’s recommendations on combating COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation at the individual, community, and organizational levels.
Use these talking points to help spread the facts on COVID-19 and health disparities to your communities and organizations:
- Longstanding systemic health and social inequities have put many people from racial and ethnic minority groups at increased risk of getting COVID-19 or experiencing severe illness, regardless of age. Visit the COVID Data Tracker’s Health Equity page for data related to specific population and place-based groups.
- CDC data show that some racial and ethnic minority groups —particularly Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and American Indian or Alaska Native people are disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
- COVID-19 has affected racial and ethnic minority groups, and people who live in rural areas by causing more severe illness and death than in other groups because of low income, discrimination, and lack of healthcare access.
- CDC created a COVID-19 Health Equity Strategy with the following guiding principles: reduce health disparities; use data-driven approaches; foster meaningful engagement with community institutions and diverse leaders; lead culturally responsive outreach programs; and reduce stigma, including stigma associated with race and ethnicity.
- More people from some racial and ethnic minority groups work in essential work settings, such as healthcare facilities, farms, factories, grocery stores, public transportation, and other service-related jobs than other groups of people. Some people who work in these settings have more chances to be exposed to COVID-19.
OMH encourages you to share the tools and resources on this page. Find up-to-date information on COVID-19 and toolkits to help you boost your community by dispelling misinformation.
Know Your COVID-19 Community Level
COVID-19 Community Levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. Take precautions to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 based on the COVID-19 Community Level in your area.
COVID-19 Guidance and Recommendations
CDC updated and shortened its recommended isolation and quarantine period for general population.
Read guidance or use the quarantine and isolation calculator
CDC expanded COVID-19 booster recommendations to everyone age 12 and older
CDC updated its eligibility guidelines on COVID-19 vaccines to include children ages 5+.
CDC recommends that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people age 5 and older, including people who are pregnant, might become pregnant in the future, are trying to get pregnant now, or are breastfeeding.
- See CDC guidance on COVID-19 vaccination for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding
- View resources about COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant and breastfeeding audiences
CDC recommends that vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings when the COVID risk to your community is high.
General Resources for all Communities (English)
Appalachian Region Employers Toolkit
The Appalachian Region Employers Toolkit is a collection of science-based resources employers can use to promote workplace safety and help increase employee and community confidence in and uptake of COVID vaccines.
A toolkit to build vaccine confidence and promote preventive measures against COVID-19 within the LGBTQ+ community.
Community Health Workers Toolkit
Complete resources to help community health workers build vaccine confidence and promote preventive measures in their organizations and communities.
Provides an overview of the toolkit contents and how to build vaccine confidence with the target audience using the toolkit materials.
Information and materials about COVID-19 vaccines for partners to share in their community.
Essential Workers in Agriculture Toolkit
Complete resources to build vaccine confidence and promote preventive measures with agricultural workers.
Complete resources to help build vaccine confidence in nurses.
Community-Based Organizations Toolkit
Resources for community-based organizations, including those that serve youths, that want to help increase confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in the communities they serve.
A toolkit for parents with resources about COVID-19 vaccinations for children.
Resources for school district leaders, teachers, parent leaders, and school supporters to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence, answer questions, and outline school guidance about COVID-19.
College Students Toolkit — English/Spanish
Resources for college students who want to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake among fellow students and others in their communities.
High School Students Toolkit — English/Spanish
Resources for high school students who want to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake among their peers.
Provides an overview of the toolkit contents and how to build vaccine confidence with the target audience using the toolkit materials.
Complete resources for building vaccine confidence and promoting preventive measures in faith-based communities.
Public Transportation Workers Toolkit
Resources for organizations and individuals that want to increase confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among public transportation workers.
Resources for how to build vaccine confidence and promote preventive measures with rural communities.
Creative resources for hospitals and pediatricians hosting clinics and events to vaccinate children 5 and older against COVID-19.
Toolkit for People With Disabilities
Complete resources on COVID-19 vaccination for people with disabilities and the organizations and individuals who support them. Some links take you to resources on the CDC website.
This toolkit provides CDC information on COVID-19 vaccination for pediatricians and other medical professionals who care for children. Links take you to resources on the CDC website.
On-Site Vaccination Clinic Toolkit
This toolkit helps community groups, employers, and other host organizations work directly with vaccine providers to set up vaccination clinics in locations people know and trust.
General Resources for all Communities (Spanish)
Resources About COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children Ages 5+ — Spanish
A selection of outreach resources related to COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5+.
Toolkit for LGBTQ+ Community — Spanish
A toolkit to build vaccine confidence and promote preventive measures against COVID-19 within the LGBTQ+ community.
General Audience Toolkit — Spanish
Information and materials about COVID-19 vaccines for partners to share in their community.
Public Transportation Workers Toolkit — Spanish
Resources for organizations and individuals that want to increase confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among public transportation workers.
Complete resources to help build vaccine confidence in nurses.
School Communities Toolkit — Spanish
Guides, templates, sample messages, and other informational resources for school district leaders and school administrators to support COVID-19 vaccination and inform faculty, parents, and students about COVID-19 guidelines.
Older Adults Toolkit — Spanish
Complete resources to help build COVID-19 vaccine confidence and maintain good health in older adults.
A toolkit for parents with resources about COVID-19 vaccinations for children.
Community-Based Organizations Toolkit — Spanish
Resources for community-based organizations, including those that serve youths, that want to help increase confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in the communities they serve.
College Students Toolkit — English/Spanish
Resources for college students who want to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake among fellow students and others in their communities.
High School Students Toolkit — English/Spanish
Resources for high school students who want to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake among their peers.
Children’s Hospitals Toolkit — Spanish
Creative resources for hospitals and pediatricians hosting clinics and events to vaccinate children 5 and older against COVID-19.
Toolkit for People with Disabilities — Spanish
Complete resources on COVID-19 vaccination for people with disabilities and the organizations and individuals who support them. Some links take you to resources on the CDC website.
On-Site Vaccination Clinic Toolkit — Spanish
This toolkit helps community groups, employers, and other host organizations work directly with vaccine providers to set up vaccination clinics in locations people know and trust.
American Indian/Alaska Native Communities (English Resources)
American Indian/Alaska Native Tribal Leaders Toolkit
Resources for how to build vaccine confidence and promote preventive measures with the target audience toolkit materials.
Together We Can Do This Fact Sheets for NE, NW, Plains, SW and All Regions
Answers to four questions to build vaccine confidence with American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Protect Your Child With a COVID-19 Vaccine
Poster for vaccine providers that serve American Indian/Alaska Native parents, in Spanish.
Asian American Communities (English Resources)
AA and NHPI In-Language Resources for Coronavirus (COVID-19) [EXTERNAL]
In this Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum-produced guide you will find resource links that have been crowdsourced by community members, leaders, and national and community-based organizations that are actively working to improve the well-being of AA and NH/PI communities while keeping language access barriers in mind.esources for how to build vaccine confidence and promote preventive measures with the target audience toolkit materials.
Protect Your Child With a COVID-19 Vaccine
Poster for vaccine providers that serve Asian American/Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander parents, in Spanish.
Asian American Communities (Resources in Other Asian Languages)
Tips to Share & Promote We Can Do This Resources — Korean
Ideas to help promote the We Can Do This campaign resources.
Tips to Share & Promote We Can Do This Resources — Simplified Chinese
Ideas to help promote the We Can Do This campaign resources.
Tips to Share & Promote We Can Do This Resources — Tagalog
Ideas to help promote the We Can Do This campaign resources.
Tips to Share & Promote We Can Do This Resources — Traditional Chinese
Ideas to help promote the We Can Do This campaign resources.
Tips to Share & Promote We Can Do This Resources — Vietnamese
Ideas to help promote the We Can Do This campaign resources.
Black/African American Communities (English Resources)
Black/African American Civic Organizations Toolkit
Resources to build vaccine confidence and promote prevention with Black/African American audiences.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Toolkit
Resources for how to build vaccine confidence and promote preventative measures with the target audience.
Guide to promote preventative measures and build vaccine confidence within historically black colleges and universities.
Talking Points for Black/African American Community & Civic Organization Leaders
Key messages about COVID-19 prevention and vaccination for Black/African American community organizations.
Live Events & Webinars for HBCUs
Three examples of different virtual educational events organizations can host to educate their students.
Encouraging information on ways to safely socialize on campus.
Protect Your Child With a COVID-19 Vaccine
Poster for vaccine providers that serve Black/African American parents.
We Didn’t Come This Far to Fail
Poster to promote preventative measures and vaccination.
Poster to promote preventative measures and vaccination.
We’ve Got to Stop Meeting Like This
Poster to promote COVID-19 prevention in Black/African American communities.
We Never Give Up on Giving Back
Poster to promote COVID-19 prevention and vaccination in Black/African American communities.
Hispanic and Latino Communities (English Resources)
Vaccine Confidence Presentation for Latino Audiences
Presentation about COVID-19 vaccines to help build vaccine confidence in Latino audiences.
Text Messages for Students — Spanglish
Sample text messages to use in outreach to students.
Protect Your Child With a COVID-19 Vaccine
Poster for vaccine providers that serve Hispanic/Latino parents.
Protect Yourself Against COVID-19 in Shared Housing
Information on preventive measures in shared housing.
Keep Our Campus Safe — Spanglish
Poster encouraging college students to vaccinate for safe gathering with friends.
We're in This Together — Spanglish
Poster for college students to encourage vaccination among their families and friends.
Getting Vaxxed is Going Viral — Spanglish
Poster encouraging college students to share their vaccination story.
Getting Vaxxed is Going Viral - High School — Spanglish
Poster encouraging high school students to share their vaccination story.
For Hispanic and Latino Communities (Spanish Resources)
Community Health Workers Toolkit — Spanish
Complete resources to help community health workers build vaccine confidence and promote preventive measures in their organizations and communities.
Essential Workers in Agriculture Toolkit — Spanish
Complete resources to build vaccine confidence and promote preventive measures with agricultural workers.
Faith-Based Leaders Toolkit — Spanish
Complete resources for building vaccine confidence and promoting preventive measures in faith-based communities.
Vaccine Confidence Presentation for Latino Audiences — Spanish
Presentation about COVID-19 vaccines to help build vaccine confidence Latino audiences.
How to Talk About COVID-19 Vaccines With Family and Friends — Spanish
How to talk about COVID-19 vaccines with family and friends.
Protect Your Child With a COVID-19 Vaccine
Poster for vaccine providers that serve Hispanic/Latino parents, in Spanish.
Protect Yourself Against COVID-19 in Shared Housing — Spanish
Information on preventive measures in shared housing.
Get COVID-19 Vaccine Info on WhatsApp — Spanish
Flyer with instructions on how to use the WhatsApp chat application to find free COVID-19 vaccines.
Keep Our Campus Safe — Spanglish
Poster encouraging college students to vaccinate for safe gathering with friends.
We're in This Together — Spanglish
Poster for college students to encourage vaccination among their families and friends.
Getting Vaxxed is Going Viral — Spanglish
Poster encouraging college students to share their vaccination story.
Getting Vaxxed is Going Viral - High School — Spanglish
Poster encouraging high school students to share their vaccination story.
Additional Partner Resources
Be sure to share these other great resources developed by OMH’s partners across the nation. These organizations show how everyone can play a part in reducing health disparities and improving the health of racial and ethnic minority and American Indian/Alaska Native communities.
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest
- Multi-language COVID Vaccine PSA
- Lily the Llama Helps Her Herd (English)
- Lily the Llama Helps Her Herd (Portuese)
- Lily the Llama Helps Her Herd (Spanish)
National Indian Council on Aging
Montgomery County Immunization Coalition (MCIC)
- MCIC Events & Resources
- Social media messaging and 6 images
- Social Media Images for Facebook/Instagram (English)
- Social Media Images for Facebook/Instagram (Spanish)
- Social Media Images for Facebook/Instagram (Chinese)
- Social Media Images for Facebook/Instagram (Hindi)
- Social Media Images for Facebook/Instagram (Vietnamese)
- Social Media Images for Facebook/Instagram (Korean)
- Social Media Images for Twitter (English)
- Social Media Images for Twitter (Spanish)
- Social Media Images for Twitter (Chinese)
- Social Media Images for Twitter (Hindi)
- Social Media Images for Twitter (Vietnamese)
- Social Media Images for Twitter (Korean)
Montgomery County Immunization Coalition (MCIC)
Montgomery County Immunization Coalition (MCIC)
National Indian Council on Aging