OMH Encourages Everyone to Be #VaccineReady this National Minority Health Month 2021

April is National Minority Health Month, and this year, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) is focusing on the impacts COVID-19 is having on racial and ethnic minority and American Indian and Alaska Native communities and underscoring the need for these vulnerable communities to get vaccinated as more vaccines become available. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), certain vulnerable populations, such as non-Hispanic African Americans, individuals living in nonmetropolitan areas, and adults with lower levels of education, income or who do not have health insurance, have a higher likelihood of forgoing getting vaccinated.

The theme for National Minority Health Month is #VaccineReady. The goal of this effort is to help communities at higher risk of COVID-19 to:

• Get the facts about COVID-19 vaccines and share accurate vaccine information
• Encourage participation in clinical trials related to COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutics
• Get vaccinated when the time comes
• Practice COVID-19 safety measures

Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping people from getting COVID-19 and the CDC recommends that everyone get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible and vaccines are available.

Here are some ways you can help promote the observance:

• Spread the word by accessing and sharing the resources in the National Minority Health Month Toolkit, which has resources, sample social media messages, and downloadable graphics.
• Join the conversation by using the hashtag #VaccineReady and sharing “I am #VaccineReady because...” with your community. Start a dialogue with your network on the importance of being #VaccineReady to continue protecting themselves and others by practicing safe behaviors to slow the spread of COVID-19.
• Submit your virtual community events and activities to the Office of Minority Health Events Calendar. Then use the hashtags #VaccineReady and #NMHM2021 to share your events, activities and photos on social media to show what you are doing to prepare your community to be vaccine ready. 
• Sign up for email updates from OMH and about National Minority Health Month or follow OMH on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Upload the National Minority Health Month banner to your homepage carousel
• Dedicate a blog post to National Minority Health Month on how you are helping your community be #VaccineReady

To learn more about National Minority Health Month, visit our website (English | Spanish), sign up to receive email updates on news and activities, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.