Tulane Students help create a Vietnamese language video about COVID-19 Vaccines

The SPHTM Service Assistance in NOLA to Seniors (SSAINTS) Program has partnered with 504HealthNet, Inc., and United Way of Southeast Louisiana to develop a Vietnamese language video to share information about the COVID-19 vaccines with the local Vietnamese community. 

SSAINTS is a team of current Tulane students at the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine working to ensure the health and wellbeing of an underserved and vulnerable population group-- older Vietnamese-American adults residing in New Orleans. The group works closely with faculty, staff, and students affiliated with the Center for Studies of Displaced Populations (CSDP) at Tulane University, which has a number of public health research and practice projects based in the local Vietnamese community.

The video explains the differences between available vaccines offered in the United States and debunks misinformation leading to vaccine hesitancy. The goal of the video is to not only educate but also encourage Vietnamese residents to get vaccinated. The SSAINTS Program provided the Vietnamese script and English subtitles, as well as artistic direction for the animated video. 

The video features illustrative animation to describe the available vaccines and the vaccine schedule. Financial support from 504HealthNet, the United Way of Southeast Louisiana, and the Sprinting to the Front Lines grant provided funding for Lucia Hughes, a student in the Digital Design Program at the Tulane School of Professional Advancement to animate the video. Hughes is currently pursuing a post-baccalaureate certificate in graphic design. 

SSAINTS Program Manager NhuNgoc Pham provided the concept and script before working with Hughes and Mai Tran, a public health advocate with 504HealthNet, to develop the storyboard, visual style, and post-production of the video. Numerous other local organizations were involved in the development of the video, Cindy Tran, a member of the New Orleans Vietnamese community, provided the voice narration. 

The SSAINTS program was launched in April 2020 in response to a call for funding to address local community needs during the pandemic. The group has also participated in health fairs targeting older adults sponsored by the Vietnamese-American Seniors of Greater New Orleans Association. The services provided at these health fairs have included COVID testing, influenza immunization, and distribution of health- and COVID-19-related informational materials. Most recently, they have been helping with COVID-19 vaccination drives.  

SSAINTS student team members include NhuNgoc Pham, a doctoral student in the Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences (SBPS), Lidan Zhang, who graduated in May with a Master of Public Health, MiguelAngel Lopez, SBPS doctoral student, and Trang Nguyen, CSDP post-doctoral fellow. Cam-Thanh Tran, CSDP assistant director, helped to coordinate, and  Dr. Mai Do, associate professor of International Health and Sustainable Development, and Dr. Pia Chaparro, assistant professor of SBPS, provided mentoring.

Tulane Students who helped created the video and/or worked with the SSAINTS program (from right to left, top to bottom): NhuNgoc Pham, Lucia Hughes, Lidan Zhang, and MiguelAngel Lopez. 

The work of the SSAINTS was recognized at the 2021 SPHTM Awards Ceremony. Lidan Zhang received the R. Elise Magnus L. Memorial Achievement Award, which recognizes  excellence, achievement, and/or leadership in disease prevention or health promotion programs in the Greater New Orleans area. 

Learn more about the SSAINTS program and access the resources the group has created by visiting their LinkTree.