How Selina Herrera Helped 443 Texans Get Their COVID Shots

The sounds of Texas.

By Kristen Cabrera & Shelly BrisbinMarch 26, 2021 10:47 am, , ,

Selina Herrera’s work helping people get COVID-19 vaccines began with family members. But assisting her older tíos – her uncles – was just the beginning. So far, she’s helped 443 Texans in the Rio Grande Valley, many of them elders or people with disabilities, make vaccine appointments.

Herrera says the people she works with have struggled with both online vaccine registration and in-person events.

When she began offering to help people who didn’t know her, Herrera says she learned that she needed to be able to assure them that she was trustworthy and that she had the skills to take on the task. She says her day job involves keeping personal health information confidential.

“Most of the requests have been not only elderly people, which was my main reason for doing it – for elderly people and people with disabilities. I’ve also gotten requests from a lot of teachers, from a lot of health care workers who work at clinics. To me, that’s just astounding that they’re coming to me.”

Selina Herrera. Courtesy photo

“When I speak to them to confirm that appointment, I just hear that relief, you know, ‘Finally, like, you don’t know how hard I’ve been trying!’ And I’m like, ‘Yes I do!'”

“People do want to get vaccinated. The systems in place currently are just making it hard.”

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.