COVID Accessibility for All
16m | Apr 19, 2022Title: “COVID Accessibility for all”
Thesis: COVID vaccines are nearly accessible amongst specific groups of residents within
Vietnam, especially the Montagnards considering where they live and how much income they
receive, which can increase the risk of transmission of COVID amongst those who have not
been vaccinated.
Central question: [Revised questions] What should be done and provided for Montagnard
individuals to have/get access to the COVID vaccine?
Who is the audience?
- Montagnard + Vietnamese, and English-speaking individuals.
What does the audience need to know to understand your story?
- The Montagnards live amongst the Central Mainland of Vietnam’s region.
- An individual’s hesitancy in accessing the vaccine (DaDi’s *aunt* point of view/answer).
- A brief explanation of Corona Vac.
- There is an income disparity between urban and rural areas (academic research).
SCRIPT DRAFT [Revised] (2)
Narrator: In today’s segment, where we’ll be discussing, COVID vaccine accessibility and
vaccine knowledge amongst the Montagnard community in the region of Vietnam during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Narrator: Montagnard people are a group of natives of Vietnam, and during the COVID-19
pandemic have had a high rate of transmission of the virus.
Narrator: This is due to low health education and communication programs in the rural area
where they live. COVID-19 vaccine accessibilities are related to income, self-perceived risk of
infection, and lack of knowledge and engagement in the Montagnard community. What should
be done and provided for Montagnard individuals to access the COVID vaccine while
recognizing their situation as a rural community as to provide more useful resources that benefit
them?
*Mellow/Calm music transitioning*
Narrator: A healthcare data analyst from Buon Ma Thuot, DaDi Boun Ya, is well versed in the
vaccine accessibility of the Montagnard community.
Narrator: As a healthcare data analyst, DaDi, is a frontline healthcare worker, and her job
consists of organizing, managing, and communicating amongst Buon Ma Thuot state hospital.
Interview Questions & Discussion
Narrator: On April 27th, 2021, Vietnam experienced the fourth COVID-19 wave regarded as
the first catastrophic yet "real" wave. 927,495 cases have been reported as of November 2nd,
2021. Who were the first people to receive it? Why?
DaDi: The first people who received the COVID vaccine were frontline workers in the state of
Buon Ma Thuot. For example, healthcare workers like myself were the first group of people who
were vaccinated because we worked amongst hospitals and patients. As a healthcare data analyst,
I fear so much for the safety of my family, especially my daughter and husband. Your uncle, who
works in the state as an executive officer, is always around his co-workers and other people out
of the country. This scares me because it’s a safety concern I have when it comes to rapidly
spread viruses, which can be transmitted from close contact or airborne.
Narrator: When thinking about how to receive and access the vaccine for our benefits of safety
from the risk of transmission, how would you compare the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines
before when it was first distributed?
DaDi: Before, many people were worried about who would receive the vaccine because of safety
concerns. The spreading of COVID became a fear in everyone's minds including myself.
Vaccine distribution was only to workers on the frontline such as healthcare workers or
individuals who worked amongst the state, so it was divided from the rest of the people in
Vietnam. When looking at this situation, gave a sense of security and hope to the people of
Vietnam including the Montagnard community because it shows that time will progress through
and some protocols need to be followed and established beforehand.
*Mellow/Calm music transitioning*
Narrator: COVID-19 has created many challenges in the Montagnard community. For example,
increased job losses, lack of viable isolation areas when tested positive, and delays in accessing
critically needed care during illnesses.
Narrator: From DaDi’s point of view as a healthcare analyst, there is a high number of
Montagnard individuals living in rural areas who receive the bare minimum of acknowledgment
and preparation for prevention from COVID-19. It’s a constant fear that people within the
Montagnard community live in today, which shows there isn’t as much guidance that they’re
receiving compared to those who are getting information that they need. DaDi suggested some
resources and awareness that benefited the community.
*Mellow chime transitioning
Narrator: What challenges do you think some Montagnard individuals underwent when
accessing the vaccine? If they were some vaccine hesitancy, what might’ve been some concerns
that people may have?
DaDi: When speaking on hesitancy and challenges, our community, the Montagnards or Ede,
some people have not had much knowledge about the current (COVID-19) vaccine. Some would
wait until the effective treatment because the COVID-19 vaccine has been produced so fast.
There was some hesitancy among those who have not got vaccinated because of the lack of
knowledge and education about the various types of vaccines, which was questionable whether
or not the vaccine was preventative because of where they were produced and researched.
As the distribution of vaccines, such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna, began to proceed
through the community, people felt appreciated yet grateful that they were receiving them
because it provides an extra layer of protection. But as China began its production of vaccines
for COVID, it gave some concerning thoughts and opinions amongst the community because
people didn’t know much about CoronaVac and how it was created. Some assume that there’s
been less amount of research and trials that’s been done for it to be labeled as “safe” for everyone
to have access to for their safety benefit.
*Mellow/Calm music transitioning*
Narrator: Pfizer and Moderna are both produced and researched within the United States while
AstraZeneca is produced within the United Kingdom.
Narrator: When compared to CoronaVac, which was produced by Beijing-based company
Sinovac. It’s the world's most widely used COVID-19 vaccine.
On June 1st, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) established CoronaVac for emergency
use. The company, Sinovac, has signed purchase agreements for 380 million doses from COVAX
(COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access). As of July 2021, CoronaVac was the most widely used
COVID-19 vaccine in the world, with 943 million doses delivered.
Narrator: CoronaVac works the same way as Pfizer and Moderna. Two doses are administered
between 14 days. The effectiveness rate is 51% against symptomatic COVID-19, 100% against
severe COVID-19, and 100% against hospitalization starting 14 days after receiving the second
dose.
Narrator: The CoronaVac vaccine has been in phase 3 trials since mid-2020 in Brazil,
Indonesia, Chile, and Turkey, which brings into question whether it creates a preventative
solution for the Montagnard community when it comes to accessing and receiving them due to
the low effectiveness rate and how it may be suitable amongst each individual when it comes to
the system acceptance.
*Slight chime/ding transitioning*
Narrator: Amongst the Montagnard community, there were a few challenges when it came to
deciding to get vaccinated because of safety considerations and the fear of developing side
effects and complications from whichever vaccine is provided.
*Mellow/Calm music transitioning*
Narrator: Since you mention about lack of awareness and education, what might be some of the
solutions that should be provided for those who haven’t received the vaccine?
DaDi: Within the Montagnard community, there are different systems in providing awareness
and guidance on what COVID is and how the vaccine benefits one’s health. Each region of
Vietnam is divided into a system of “districts,” which are led by elders or medical educators,
who play an important role in explaining the benefits of the vaccine and why it's important to
receive it because if not, there may be some consequences.
DaDi: In the beginning, COVID cases have gotten worse, which then became an important issue
to be taken seriously because everyone feared spreading to one another and being around the
community.
As soon as vaccine regulation passed, such as individuals in the group of 65 or older and then
individuals who were the age group of 18 to 46, people quickly registered to get vaccinated for
the sake and benefit of their well-being and others.
When everyone got the chance to get vaccinated, it brought a sense of relief, which brought
awareness that COVID will still be around and that getting vaccinated will bring down the risk of
people getting infected.
*Slight chime/ding transitioning*
Narrator: When it came to receiving the COVID vaccine, DaDi shares her experience as a
healthcare worker when she first received the vaccine while comparing how the rest of our
community, the Montagnards, accessed it.
DaDi: When comparing my experience with our community, I see a difference in favor of getting
vaccinated with the same vaccine. For example, some considered getting vaccinated with Pfizer
for their first and second dose. Then, for their booster, they prefer the same vaccine because they
felt it would give them an easier outcome and fewer complications of experiencing side effects.
Before the vaccine distribution, the majority of people within our Montagnard community lived
with questions and doubts about what will happen next or the next step to where Vietnam will be
if COVID is still around. There were an increased number of cases because a lot of people were
around each other and being six feet apart wasn't quite helpful for anyone.
As cases got higher, Vietnam placed a mandatory lockdown that lasted up to a month for it to
dial down, which helped a lot, but the downside was that many businesses, especially small
businesses, began to struggle because there wasn’t as much income brought home since everyone
had to stay home.
As vaccines were distributed, we’ve seen a great number of our community begin to open and
accept the helpfulness of the vaccines. Many families began to spread awareness amongst other
people and help convince them that getting vaccinated will bring everyone closer and bring a
sense of safety and acknowledgment. When looking at this, it’s a big improvement that took
small steps but impacted greatly amongst others so we could see hope for the future.
*Mellow/Calm music transitioning*
Narrator: DaDi’s narrative about vaccine distribution amongst the Montagnard community of
Vietnam indicates many crucial factors. Vaccine knowledge and resources are crucial
determinants of vaccine accessibility in the context of Vietnam.
Narrator: Strategies such as social distancing and lockdown measures help maintain the
outbreaks. If the number of vaccinated Montagnard individuals increases, each of them will be
an “immune shield”, which protects them from infection and decreases the spread.
Narrator: There are some things to be advised or bring awareness of within this vaccine
distribution and accessibility. First, the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals. When
you’re looking at public hospitals, resuscitation, and emergency care are better than those
“not-so-good” hospitals. Second, these public hospitals are well equipped. Although the
“not-so-good” hospitals can carry out emergency cases, severe cases must be referred to a better
and more equipped hospital. Third, reaching out and increasing COVID-19 programs to create
better education and knowledge for those who want to know more and expand their knowledge
to others so it benefits future outlooks.
Narrator: Health care and distribution amongst all regions of Vietnam (South, North, and
Central) is part of the grassroots health strategy and plays a vital role in primary health care.
With this, they could foresee the accessibility and affordability of available local health services
without feeling unsafe yet feel acknowledged by individuals who put them first for their
well-being and health.
Narrator: This podcast was produced by H’Neamy Mlo for the Spring 2022 Global Health
course at Guilford College.