Brooklyn Park Mobile Vaccination Clinic Helps Address Vaccine Disparities
We’re nearly three months into Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout, and we’ve already hit another milestone with more than two million doses administered.
In Hennepin County alone, 288,453 residents have received at least one vaccine dose, (which is more than 1 in 5 residents).
Yet one of the challenges with the rollout is ensuring equitable distribution of the vaccine. So far, immunizations for racial minorities lag behind the state’s white population. But local health systems are working to change that.
For example, North Memorial Health has teamed up with Hennepin County Public Health to help ensure a more equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.
One of the ways they’re doing that is by setting up mobile vaccination clinics, like one that took place Thursday at Creekside Gables senior living home in Brooklyn Park.
‘This is our chance to try to catch up’
“When your goal is to get as many shots in arms as you can, sometimes those where it’s harder are left behind for a while,” said Dr. Kevin Croston, North Memorial Health CEO. “So this is our chance to try to catch up on that. Now that we kind of got the process going and we’re doing a better job with it, it’s time for us to get around the community for all the people that are shut in and that are underrepresented today. So this is a good example of that. All of the health systems are starting to do this.”
Creekside Gables resident Bryan Lynch receives the COVID-19 vaccine during a pop-up vaccination event in Brooklyn Park.
About 60 residents of Creekside Gables received the COVID-19 vaccine during Thursday’s pop-up vaccination event.
The goal of these pop-up clinics is to reach people who are traditionally under-served and may have barriers to accessing the COVID vaccine, such as a lack of transportation or difficulties with English.
Hennepin County and North Memorial health worked closely with community paramedics not only to identify the best locations but to operate the vaccine distribution.
Residents like Bryan Lynch were happy to finally get their opportunity.
“I think it’s really good to bring it to a building like this because a lot of the people can’t get out and probably wouldn’t take the shot otherwise, so it being brought here really helps,” Lynch said.
The residents received the Moderna version of the vaccine, which means that they will need a second shot. North Memorial will come back to Creekside Gables in 28 days to administer that second dose.
