Winnebago County health official outlines steps to improve equitable COVID-19 vaccine access

Lindsay Erickson, a community health strategist at the Winnebago County Health Department, told the Oshkosh City Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee that the county is working to reduce barriers to COVID-19 vaccination for people with limited internet access, transportation needs, language differences and mistrust of the health system.

Erickson said the department held its first public vaccination clinic at the Sunnyview Expo Center earlier in the month and that online appointment slots filled within about 40 minutes. "We did make the decision before that to hold back about 20% of appointments so that we could get people in who may not have access to Internet or technology, and for anyone else with barriers or difficulties with access," Erickson said.

The county is pairing that practice with other changes designed to reach people who are hard to connect with, Erickson said. Beginning March 1, free transportation will be available to individuals in Winnebago, Outagamie and Calumet counties; funded partners include the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, Oshkosh Area United Way, the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley and Fox Cities United Way. Free rides will be available for fixed-route transit, paratransit, and shared-ride services, Erickson said, and staff will help people navigate options.

"So our goal was, that anyone with transportation needs would be able to get to a vaccination site without a cost burden," Erickson said. She added the county will continue holding back a share of appointments for people without internet access and will maintain a hotline (232-3026) that people can call to request assistance making an appointment.

Erickson identified three primary barriers the county has heard from community members and leaders: transportation, language and trust. To address language needs, the county uses on-site interpretation through LanguageLine at Sunnyview and is planning for in-person interpreters at targeted clinics where a larger population speaks another language. The department is also pursuing outreach in the media and formats people already use, including radio, text and video platforms.

On trust, Erickson said the department is building relationships with local trusted messengers and community partners and considering vaccination events at churches and community centers. "We know we have to work to earn this trust, with individuals and communities, and directly addressing safety and other concerns that they might have with the vaccine," she said.

Committee members and guests described a mix of experiences at Sunnyview and elsewhere: some said the clinic was organized and did not require insurance, while others described older residents who could not complete online registration and were referred back and forth between phone and website. Erickson acknowledged the county's call system had been overwhelmed during the initial rollout and said staff will continue to improve hotline response and targeted outreach.

Erickson described operational measures the county uses to avoid wasting vaccine doses: clinics maintain a short call-down list to fill no-shows, and the county reports it has not had to discard opened doses. She also said the county is planning for mobile clinics — particularly if single-dose vaccines become available — to reach farmworkers, migrant workers and homebound residents.

Erickson closed by asking committee members to share barriers they were hearing in their networks. "If there's other concerns or barriers that you've been hearing or experiencing, I would love to hear them, and bring them back to the team," she said.

The presentation concluded with committee members thanking Erickson and asking the city and county to coordinate outreach; the committee discussed sharing Erickson's contact information with community partners.

Ending: Erickson said she would share more information about the transportation program and encouraged committee members to pass along additional barriers or community contacts so the health department could tailor outreach and help residents navigate appointment options.