COVID task force calls for more vaccines to marginalized communities

2 years ago 270

Task unit gathering successful Jacksonville connected Dec. 23, 2021. (News4JAX.com)

A Florida COVID-19 task unit is calling connected President Joe Biden and authorities leaders to usage them to get vaccines retired to marginalized communities.

Churches are staples successful immoderate communities. They’ve been important parts of COVID-19 responses since vaccinations began.

With the omicron variant, which is said to beryllium 4 to six times arsenic beardown arsenic the archetypal strain, pastors with the COVID-19 Statewide Education and Engagement Task Force accidental it’s clip for resources to beryllium brought backmost to their churches.

“Put the resources successful these marginalized communities. Billions of billions of dollars. Where did the resources go?” asked the Rev. R.B. Holmes, president of the task force.

They privation to grow their vaccine efforts everyplace successful the state. Specifically, they’re calling for 40 locations to beryllium placed successful hard-to-reach communities.

There are besides plans for churches to self-fund mobile vaccine clinics.

Holmes said relying connected CVS, Walgreens and market stores to administer vaccines concerns him.

“I’m not against the cause stores and the market stores, but it hasn’t been working,” said Holmes. “I state that if you enactment it successful the close agency, successful the close hands, you’ll spot much results.”

Two of their churches held vaccine events this past Saturday wherever they said 100+ radical were vaccinated and thousands were educated astir COVID-19.

“It’s close successful the bosom of the assemblage wherever it’s an accessible, trusted venue, trusted voices, radical who are successful the community, surviving successful the assemblage and reaching retired to the community,” said erstwhile Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. “And that’s what it’s each about.”

The pastors accidental they cognize what to bash to scope the community.

They conscionable request the assistance to bash it.