The state health department reports that 66% of Latinos in Santa Clara County have not received a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
For awhile, the worry was a lack of vaccine supply. But now, many worry people in the Latino community are actively choosing to not get vaccinated.
"It worries me that such a large percentage of our own people doesn’t get the vaccine yet," Hernan Hernandez from Los Tigres del Norte said.
Los Tigres del Norte, one of the most popular bands in Mexico, shot a vaccine promo with NBC Bay Area's sister station Telemundo 48 to push vaccination. They even sent out photos of their own vaccinations, hoping to motivate people.
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The numbers also worry county health leaders who held a news conference Friday to discuss the drop in demand and plead with everyone to get a vaccine.
"Don't wait any longer to do this," Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, the county's COVID-19 testing and vaccine officer, said. "Every vaccinated person gets us ever closer to protecting our community and saving lives and getting back to normal. That's what we all want."
Cassandra Jaimes explained why she hasn't been vaccinated yet.
"If the pandemic does gets worse, I’ll probably get it," she said. "But me myself, I’m 26 years old. I think I’m pretty healthy, so I’m not going to get it."
Health leaders and Los Tigres said that means they have to work harder to change minds.
"It’s scary," Luis Hernandez from Los Tigres said. "As Latinos, we have to go out and get the vaccine."
The band and the county realize the battle won't be easy, but both are vowing not to give up.
"From Los Tigres del Norte, the message is that we have to be vaccinated," band member Jorge Hernandez said. "We have to do it."
