Texas Vaccine Outreach and Education Grant - Round 2
Inform, connect and protect your community.
The purpose of the second round of the Texas Vaccine Outreach and Education Grant Program is to fund projects that ensure greater access and knowledge of COVID-19 vaccines through education and outreach to populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Grantees will be awarded funds to engage their community in proactive COVID-19 vaccine education and outreach activities with the goal of increasing the number of people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 in Texas.
Those who are hesitant to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine could have questions ranging from what the process was for creating the vaccines to wanting more information about the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. Community-based organizations are critical to informing communities about the COVID-19 vaccines and increasing vaccine confidence for those who are still deciding whether to get vaccinated.
We invite statewide organizations, academic institutions, and community-based organizations of all sizes who have strong, direct relationships with the populations they serve to apply for funding. Engagement activities such as hosting events, canvassing door-to-door, or providing other services directly to the community are greatly valued. Even if your organization’s mission or regular operations aren’t vaccine or public-health related, Texas A&M University Health Science Center and the Department of State Health Services are here to provide guidance, toolkits, resources, and other technical assistance throughout the project timeline.
COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be highly effective at preventing and mitigating severe disease from COVID-19. Preventing disparities in access to and knowledge of COVID-19 vaccines is important to reduce the disproportionate impacts of the virus. Lower vaccination rates among some groups leaves them at increased risk for infection, especially as new variants spread.
Priority will be given to applicants who are:
- Statewide organizations proposing targeted community interventions addressing communities of color, rural communities, and/or Texans with disabilities
- Groups or organizations focusing on serving parents of children in Texas regarding COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy
- Groups or organizations focusing on one or more of ten counties in Texas with low vaccination rates (Bell, Bowie, Ector, Grayson, Jefferson, Johnson, McLennan, Parker, Tom Green, and/or Wichita)
- Groups or organizations focusing on serving Tribal Nations
For more information email us at VaccineGrantRound2@tamu.edu.
Read the press release from the Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas A&M Health HERE.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Based on current knowledge, experts believe that COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to pose a risk to a person trying to become pregnant in the short or long term. Scientists study every vaccine carefully for side effects immediately and for years afterward, and people who get vaccinated track their symptoms. The COVID-19 vaccines are being studied carefully now, and the side effects data will continue to be studied for many years, similar to other vaccines.
There is currently no evidence that antibodies formed from COVID-19 vaccination cause any problems with pregnancy. In addition, there is no evidence suggesting that fertility problems are a side effect of ANY vaccine. People who are trying to become pregnant now or who plan to try in the future may receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them.
Relevant statistics
Moderna: 10 cases of allergic reaction with 4 million doses delivered (0.0003%). In 9 of those 10 cases, the reaction occurred within 15 minutes.