Multilingual Campaign Launched to Promote Vaccine Awareness

A multilingual public education campaign has been launched to urge residents to get vaccinated when they are eligible.

This initiative is the work of the WEVax partnership of the City of Windsor, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, the County of Essex, Windsor Regional Hospital and Erie Shores HealthCare working in partnership with the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County (MCC) and the Windsor Essex County Local Immigration Partnership (WE LIP).

Windsor and Essex County is one of the most diverse regions in Canada. With more than a quarter of the population born outside of this country, it is common for languages other than English and French to be spoken at home. In addition, this community is hosting thousands of international students already feeling the effects of the pandemic and province-wide shutdown. To reach more members of our diverse community, it is essential to meet the linguistic needs in our region to ensure everyone has access to accurate information about the vaccine and how to get vaccinated.

A two-page flyer designed to provide information on common questions related to the vaccination process, including eligibility, clinic locations and what to expect at your appointment, has been translated into the top ten languages spoken in Windsor-Essex (based on information provided in the 2016 census). These languages are Arabic, Cantonese, French, Italian, Polish, Punjabi, Serbian, Somali, Spanish and Urdu.

The WEVax website also includes the ReachDeck toolbar, formerly known as BrowseAloud, which includes text to speech, reading, and translation of web pages to make content more accessible for residents in Windsor and Essex County. Visitors can access these tools by selecting the ear icon on their desktop, tablet, or mobile device when visiting the site. More than 100 languages are available through this tool, and users can even have the content read aloud to them if they desire.

It is widely understood that many individuals will turn to community groups they already have a relationship with to get information. Both MCC and WE LIP have well-established and trusted relationships with these groups and will share the information moving forward through their vast networks.

To find out if you are eligible for a vaccination, learn how to book an appointment, find clinic locations and more, please visit WEVax.ca.

If you are eligible and ready to book your appointment, visit WEVax.ca.

If you are unable to book your appointment online, call 226-773-2200.

Residents with general questions related to COVID-19 can call 211.