Mobile Vaccination Clinic at New Millennium Academy Helps Address Vaccine Disparities
Hennepin County held its first community vaccination clinic at a Brooklyn Center School this week. County staff say holding the vaccination site at New Millennium Academy helps make the vaccine accessible to more diverse groups.
New Millennium Academy is made up almost entirely by students of color. About 350 community members who were 18 and older got the shot on Monday.
“This is one of the efforts that we’re doing. This is only the Asian Pacific Islander community, but we have other tracks of vaccination that we’re going to get to, the African community to the Latino community and Native Americans,” said Danny Lee with Hennepin County.
Patients waiting after receiving COVID-19 vaccine.
County staff say community partners like CAPI took part in the effort to help educate and remove barriers.
“People from different communities just weren’t getting vaccinations at the same rate,” said Hennepin County Commissioner Jeffrey Lunde. “There were so many barriers, cultural, language some misunderstandings. So having this thing with trusted partners allows people, they trust the partners and then having them deliver the shot, is really working effectively.”
The county also hopes to set up a vaccination site at Prairie Seeds Academy in Brooklyn Park. The goal for the following months is to have 2 to 3 vaccination sits within the Asian community.
