As the delta variant surges across Los Angeles and the U.S., prominent civic leaders came together in a recent Cedars-Sinai virtual town hall and issued an urgent call to unvaccinated members of Latinx communities: Get immunized as soon as possible to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities.

The online forum in Spanish was part of a new Cedars-Sinai health education campaign called “Doses of Hope” that addresses vaccine hesitancy in vulnerable populations through education and awareness.

“We know that vaccines represent the path toward normalcy,” moderator Dr. Jorge Goldberg told the audience.

Goldberg, a senior consultant at Cedars-Sinai International, was joined by Dr. Hector Balcazar, dean of the College of Science and Health at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science; Nury Martinez, president of the Los Angeles City Council; and Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.

The hour-long forum was the third in an ongoing series of public conversations called “Embracing Our Community: LIVE!” sponsored by Cedars-Sinai to address vital issues affecting local communities.

Martinez said she and other city leaders want to avoid a repeat of the winter of 2020, when businesses were forced to close in an effort to stop the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Martinez and the other speakers lamented some of the major obstacles to vaccines in Latinx communities: misinformation on social media and fear or mistrust of the government. They cited a practical obstacle as well, explaining that many essential workers cannot take time away from work to get vaccinated or work from home.

Thomas Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, said the “Doses of Hope” message was intended to resonate with communities that add so much to the diverse tapestry of Los Angeles.