Brown University in Providence, R.I., and local community organizations announced a collaborative project on Oct. 22 aiming to address barriers to COVID-19 testing and vaccination among the Latinx population, as well as high-risk children in Rhode Island.
The National Institutes of Health contributed $1.4 million in grants for the project. The funds are a part of the NIH's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics for Underserved Populations initiative, which aims to reduce disparities in communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
"As we are anticipating that vaccinations will soon be available and FDA-approved for children, this project is extremely timely," said project leader Sharon Rounds, MD, associate dean for clinical affairs at Brown and a professor of medicine.
Dr. Rounds added testing still remains an "essential" tool in controlling outbreaks.
Both projects have launched and will be funded for up to two years.