Our effort comes in the wake of the historic emergency use authorizations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that have been awarded to Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna. But it’s important to go beyond these FDA authorizations and the surrounding politics to recruit trusted messengers within these underserved communities and train these physicians and other stakeholders to educate their communities on the importance of being vaccinated.

We have found agencies such as the local or state health department may not always be a trusted source, while the physician-patient relationship and ties to churches and organizations in the local neighborhoods and communities is unique, so we needed an array of providers at FQHCs, clinics and independent physicians throughout these communities to be a part of the trusted messenger campaign. Further, we are asking you and your organization to become a trusted messenger that would also recruit other trusted messengers, community leaders and physicians.