Editor’s note: This story is part of the Faces of 2021 series looking back at those in the news in the Aurora area in 2021.
Since COVID-19 vaccines began rolling out in December 2020, a resident of the East Side of Aurora has made it her mission to try and help connect community members with the vaccine and answer any questions they might have.
After her mother died of COVID-19 last winter, her drive to promote vaccination only increased.
But Karina Suarez-Darden remains frustrated that the city’s 60505 ZIP code, which covers the East Side of Aurora between the Chicago Premium Outlets mall and Phillips Park Zoo, remains the lowest vaccinated ZIP code in Kane County.
Around 42.7% of the 60505 ZIP code, with one of the largest Hispanic populations in the county, is fully vaccinated as of Thursday, state data shows.
Suarez-Darden, who has worked as a community health liaison for VNA Health Care for the last three years, said it has become her mission to connect with the community about the vaccine. If there is a city podcast, she wants to join in. If she hears about a gathering in the community, she asks the organizer if she can come to spread the word about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
She also founded United Neighbors Group in 2016, is a part of the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board, serves as vice president of the Bilingual Parent Advisory Council for East Aurora School District 131 and leads her own neighborhood group that has been meeting virtually on Zoom.
“Almost 70 to 80% of my time that I’m awake is spent doing something with the community,” she said.
But she still struggles to educate residents about the vaccine.
“I try not to take it personally and tell them to check their sources. Sometimes I convince them, but other times they’ll just start thinking about it,” she said.
She hopes that initial spark will later lead them to ask her the magic question: “Will you set up an appointment for me?” And if a resident does ask, she says she drops everything to make the appointment right away.
One of her friends said he would not go unless she accompanied him, so she did.
“He was very nervous and told me he didn’t sleep the night before and was shaking,” she said. “It’s very hard and we think people who are not getting vaccinated just don’t want to but there is a lot going on in the background. I will do whatever is necessary to help them because I don’t want anybody to end up intubated in the hospital losing their own life.”
Suarez-Darden said after her mother passed away with COVID-19 on Dec. 12, 2020, at the age of 57, she has continued to reach out to residents because she does not want them to go through the same pain as her family.
“I don’t give up because I know my mom is speaking through me,” she said. “There are some people who have listened to me and it’s still a challenge, but I say to myself to just let them know what can be avoided. I’ve been very emotional for the last couple of days, but it is part of my role to let people know that this is not fake. It’s real.”
Kane County Health Department Assistant Director for Community Health Michael Isaacson said previously the department has teamed up with churches and neighbors to directly talk to residents in areas with low vaccination numbers. Some residents have greater resistance than others, particularly in Hispanic and Black communities, he said. Aurora officials said they’ve worked with health care providers like VNA to host pop-up mobile clinics to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to specific neighborhoods.
Social media disinformation campaigns are largely fueling reluctance in the community, Suarez-Darden said. She said rumors shared from friends or coworkers spread easily and people often do not check their sources.
On top of that, Chrissie Howorth, vice president of communication for VNA, said many in the 60505 ZIP code also have competing priorities, like food and housing insecurity, while working multiple jobs.
“They have a lot of things competing for their time and attention and after working long hours and sometimes during unsocial hours, it’s hard for them to take on one more thing,” Howorth said.
Since the onset of the pandemic, 66 vaccine events have been held in the 60505 ZIP code by VNA, Howorth said, and about 45 people have been vaccinated there through home visits.
Currently, mobile clinics are alternating days outside of the Supermercado La Chiquita on Ashland Avenue and Supermercado El Guero on Farnsworth Avenue in Aurora. Information about which days the clinics operate can be found on VNA Health Care’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
While Suarez-Darden said she can’t tell people how they’ll react to the shot, she shares her own side effects and research. She also believes her bold personality helps to build trust.
If a resident does ask for a vaccine, she said she follows through, reminding people about their next appointment and asking how they feel.
“I take care of them like they are a crystal figurine,” Suarez-Darden said. “I hold them and don’t let go and check-in to make sure they got their second shot. If people say they are too busy working different shifts or taking care of their kids, I remind them that they need to stay healthy in order to function or else their kids can’t eat because they won’t be able to work. They start thinking, oh yeah, and it’s just very rewarding to make that switch.”
