Over the past several months, EMPath mentors have been an important outlet for families to express hesitations about the COVID-19 vaccines – and be assured they are safe.

Alba Oliver, a mentor in EMPath’s Stabilization program, says the vaccine came up naturally in conversation with nearly all 18 participants she coaches. Many expressed fears and hesitations about getting vaccinated.

One participant in particular was especially worried. Alba listened to the woman’s concerns and shared her own similar experience.

“I explained to her that I was very hesitant and afraid at first too,” Alba says. “I told her that I was one of the last ones who got vaccinated at work because I wanted to do my own research first. I told her that I did a lot of reading and talked to a doctor. I broke down how the vaccines work, that they’re very safe, and that the research behind the science has been going on for a long time.”

Just 15 minutes after the meeting, the participant texted Alba that she had made an appointment to get vaccinated that afternoon. The following week, she told Alba that she’d decided to vaccinate her children too.

Alba’s participants shared many different reasons for being wary of the vaccine. Some didn’t know about or understand the science behind it. Some had heard misinformation or conspiracy theories about the vaccines on social media or from family or friends. And as we wrote about in February, many BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), immigrants, and people with low incomes are understandably skeptical of health care institutions and the government.

Most of Alba’s participants are BIPOC and/or immigrants. As a Latina immigrant herself, Alba could relate to their concerns and was able to speak from personal experience.

“I explained to participants that usually, us immigrants and us people of color are the ones working frontline jobs, and are more exposed to COVID. Because we’re more prone to getting infected, we have to think about that reality compared to fears we may have about getting vaccinated,” Alba says.

Through listening, talking through anxieties, explaining the science behind the vaccine, and sharing her own experience, Alba has assuaged many families’ fears about the vaccine. Participants in Stabilization also receive a $50 earned incentive for completing a goal to get vaccinated, which served as additional encouragement. So far, eight of Alba’s participants have now either already gotten the shot or set a goal to get it. And families across EMPath’s programs have similarly opted in to get vaccinated after talking with their mentor.

This success is a testament to the power of coaching relationships built on trust. It speaks to how much of a difference it makes when mentors have shared identities and experiences with their participants. And it is proof that taking the time to listen to people’s concerns is often more effective than dismissing them.

“I’ve heard people say things like, ‘I don’t get why people don’t just get vaccinated, it’s so easy,’” Alba shares. “But if you build a relationship with someone and you listen to them to try and understand why they don’t want to, it often works. A lot of people don’t take the time to break down this stuff. But personally, I would want somebody to explain it to me.”

Counteracting vaccine misinformation and anxiety with facts and science is critical, but equally as critical is the context of who and where this information is shared. By building trust with her participants and relating to their hesitations, Alba has been able to instill confidence that the vaccine is indeed safe. Relationships built on trust, mutual respect, and shared experiences really can change lives.