On the latest episode of PolicyWise (S3, E15), Ellinor Arzbaecher and Michael Wiafe speak with Ashens Limon and Michael Yamamura of the COVID-19 Youth Task Force about the issues facing youth in Fresno. The Task Force is part of the Vaccinate all 58 effort to promote vaccines and boosters while, at the same time, addressing misinformation that prevent Californians from protecting themselves.
Limon explained the skepticism some communities of color have about vaccines, which affect their children. “It’s important for young people to have control of their own body,” he said. “Us young people know a little more about what’s going on right now and we should have the right to get vaccinated at whatever age without having to go behind our parents’ back.”
The panel also discusses how the pandemic has affected the disabled community. “We’ve seen a very blatant disregard for disabled people from policymakers and even in our own communities,” said Yamamura. “We’re seeing a lot of disabled people are basically being dehumanized, that their deaths are being labeled as okay because their ‘less-than.’ It’s disgusting.”
The PolicyWise podcast is a partnership between Youth Leadership Institute and CA FWD and can be heard on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Breaker Audio, RadioPublic, Pocket Casts and Overcast.
