State leaders encourage COVID-19 vaccination at community site
Georgia pushes for more minority vaccinations
Minorities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and lag behind in vaccinations, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, which is why the state is major a bigger push to reach minority groups. On Thursday, the governor and state health officials visited a pop-up vaccination clinic at the Latin American Association in Brookhaven.
BROOKHAVEN, Ga. - Since opening a weekly clinic on the second floor of the Latin American Association in April, CEO Santiago Marquez said they have vaccinated more than a thousand people against COVID-19.
Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Georgia, first lady Marty Kemp, and Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey toured the pop-up site.
"We've just got to continue to remember that this is still out there even though some days it doesn't seem like people realize that," said Gov. Kemp. "We just want people to know that look, the vaccine is readily available."
The state shut down its mass vaccination sites about a month ago and FEMA's Mercedes-Benz Stadium site followed soon after. Now, the vaccination effort has shifted to smaller, community-based locations.
"We are doing everything we can to bring the vaccines to the communities, not making people search for the vaccine as was the case early on in the pandemic," explained Dr. Toomey.
According to data from DPH, 42% of eligible Georgians have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. That number is much lower, however, in the Black and Hispanic communities at 32.2% and 30.8%, respectively.
The clinic at the Latin American Association building on Buford Highway is designed to target the Latinx and Black populations in partnership with the Urban League of Greater Atlanta and CVS Health. It is open on a rotating schedule on Thursdays and Saturdays. For more information, visit TheLAA.org.
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