Latino community activist Julissa Soto figures she has a captive audience among church-goers, so she’s trekking the state to deliver the message at services that COVID-19 vaccinations are important.

“People are listening,” she said. “I’m pretty excited about the idea.”

Soto kicked off her concept, “Vaccine Sunday,” last weekend at a church in Fort Morgan, and this Sunday will speak at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 2715 E. Pikes Peak Ave., in Colorado Springs.

Hispanics continue to lag in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, public health data show. In El Paso County, about 9% of vaccines administered have been to Hispanic residents. In total, about 62% of residents ages 12 and up have received at least one dose of a vaccine and nearly 56% have been fully vaccinated.

As the delta variant spreads, Soto said it’s imperative that more Latinos accept the vaccine. 

And talking about the vaccine in Spanish and in a culturally-sensitive way helps Latinos better identify with the message, she believes.

In addition to the language barrier, she said Latinos have asked for vaccination clinics to be held at night, to reach a wider segment of the community. A mobile clinic with after-work hours was stationed at a site in southeast Colorado Springs on Friday, to inoculate 200 people in a predominantly Hispanic area of town.

Also, Soto said, “machismo exists in the Latino culture,” which adds to vaccine reluctance among men, who may also tell their wives not to get vaccinated.

“I saw the opportunity to speak at Masses and bring the importance of the vaccine to communities that wouldn’t otherwise hear the message,” Soto said.

Soto, an independent health consultant, tells people about locations near them where they can receive a free vaccine and contacts them to be sure they get connected with a provider.

She plans to tour the state in upcoming weeks and visit various denominations of churches and houses of worship to help improve the vaccination rate among Hispanics.

Arriving in the United States 22 years ago in the trunk of a car as an undocumented immigrant, Soto says she understands the fear of Spanish-speaking immigrants when accessing health care, which is why she’s become such a strong advocate and has helped bring vaccination clinics to Latino communities for months.

“I believe God is working through her,” said the Rev. Erik Vigil Reyes, pastor of St. Helena Catholic Church in Fort Morgan, where Soto spoke last Sunday.

Parishioners reacted “very positively” to her encouragement to get vaccinated, he said in a recommendation letter to other pastors.

“The program is designed to increase awareness of the seriousness of COVID-19 and its complications and to provide easy-to-implement techniques for improving overall health,” she said.

To contact her, email Julissamolinasoto@gmail.com.