In the District today, a pilot program using churches to help distribute the coronavirus vaccine was introduced. The DC Mayor’s Office and DC Health kicked off a pilot program using Learning Undefeated’s Drop Anywhere Lab as a mobile vaccination clinic, bringing the COVID-19 vaccine right to the church location for vulnerable DC senior populations. One hundred DC residents over the age of 65 received their first does of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
In the District today, pilot program using churches to help get the COVID vaccine; distributed to two important groups of people. Those having trouble getting the shots, and others harboring real doubts about the vaccine safety. Fox’s Bob Barner has more.
Bob Barnard – The District’s Health Department is running a mobile clinic to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in the parking lot at Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church in Southeast. One hundred doses available today to members of the community 65 and older.
Linda Banks – “Our uncle is getting the vaccine this morning. And glad to be here, yes, he’s 94 years old. So it’s been – it’s been a struggle getting an appointment, you know, locating somewhere in the city. This was an opportunity and we just took advantage of it.”
Bob Barnard – The Health Departments Director is telling us the plan is to give out a hundred additional doses on Saturday to residents who have pre-registered to get the vaccine. Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt “It’s extremely important to me that our residents in Wards 5, 7, and 8 takes the same advantage to get the vaccine as everyone else. And if that means that we partner with members of the faith community to bring the vaccine to their places of worship, and that they have the opportunity to be ambassadors for the vaccine, we’re willing to make those partnerships happen.”
Bob Barnard – Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt says she realizes some people in communities of color are reluctant to get the vaccine.
Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt – “Really working with the faith community to conduct outreach; to members of the faith community, to members in the neighborhood who have confidence in the messages that the faith community brings about the vaccineto help us address what might be vaccine hesitancy.”
Bob Barnard – We met a few people here today who haven’t made up their minds. “Yeah, I’m thinking about joining but I want to see if this vaccination really works. You know I don’t want to be a test tube dummy or a guinea pig or nothing like I want to see if everybody say ‘Oh I’m fine’, then I should be fine too. Cause I’m just like everybody else, I ain’t no different from anybody else.”
Bob Barnard – Dr. Nesbitt says city officials are hoping to get more churches on board after they meet next Tuesday to see how the clinic here, went.
Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt – “You know, what we know is this is a global pandemic. This vaccine was made for the world, and this vaccine was made for residents of Wards 5, 7 and 8 just like it was made for everyone else.”
Bob Barnard – And yet, some very real obstacles to widespread community distribution remain. In Southeast, Bob Barnard, Fox 5 Local News
Original air date: February 11, 2021.
