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.