While the covid vaccines are open to Iowans 16 and older, Latinos continue to encounter barriers to access the shots.

The Iowa Department of Public Health says fewer than two-percent of doses administered have gone to Latinos, while nearly 80-percent have gone to whites. Joe Enriquez Henry, of the Iowa League of United Latin American Citizens, feels

Henry feels there’s room for improvement from all levels of government, including how to better assist undocumented immigrants in the vaccination effort.

Henry sees some relief, in that meat-processing companies have stepped up vaccination efforts for employees. But he adds many Latinos are self-employed, which limits access to employer-provided information.