V+J: Juan Delcan and Valentina Izaguirre

Promoting Vaccination Equity

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, communities of color have seen lower rates of vaccination than white communities. A RAND study examined a nationwide program aimed at addressing this problem: the Equity-First Vaccination Initiative (EVI). Supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, EVI seeks to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates in the United States and, over the longer term, strengthen the public health system to achieve more-equitable outcomes.

RAND artist-in-residence V+J—the artist team of Juan Delcan and Valentina Izaguirre—was inspired by EVI's mission. They produced a video using a “perpetual zoom” technique that transforms this important public health story into a mesmerizing visual journey.

Explore the research behind this piece Learn more about V+J

Go Behind the Scenes with the Artists

From their visual inspiration and original sketches to animation techniques and in-studio collaboration, here's an inside look at how Juan Delcan and Valentina Izaguirre collaborated to create their video on vaccination equity.

RAND Insights on Vaccination Equity and Vaccine Acceptance

  • Research Brief

    Early Insights from the Equity-First Vaccination Initiative

    Vaccination rates among communities that identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) continue to lag relative to the total population. To increase vaccine confidence and access for these populations, the Equity-First Vaccination Initiative employs hyper-local, community-led strategies.

  • Q&A

    Medical Mistrust Could Reduce Vaccine Uptake: Q&A with Laura Bogart

    Laura Bogart, a senior behavioral scientist, studies how discrimination feeds medical mistrust and conspiracy beliefs. Her research on how mistrust became a barrier to treatment for Black Americans during the HIV epidemic sheds light on why some might question the safety of a COVID-19 vaccine.

  • Report

    How to Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in the United States

    Vaccine hesitancy is a major challenge to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Reaching herd immunity will require boosting confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, combatting complacency about the pandemic, and increasing the convenience of getting vaccinated.

About V+J

Portrait of artist team V+J.

Juan Delcan and Valentina Izaguirre, known as V+J, are an artist team based in Los Angeles, CA. They use live action, animation, and 3D techniques as a medium to create films; they also create paintings and sculpture. One of their most notable pieces is The Matchstick People, a collection of videos in which matches come to life.

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Media Inquiries

artplusdata@rand.org