Girls Inc. and Nebraska Medicine, in with partnership with Douglas County Health Department, will serve as a dedicated clinic site for COVID-19 vaccination administration to eligible North Omaha community members.
Physician and staff volunteers are needed for the effort, which will be led by Andrea Jones, MD, of the UNMC Department of Family Medicine. The first clinic will be held this Saturday, March 27, from 2-6 p.m. Pfizer vaccines will be provided for those 55 and older.
“The time must end for the ongoing disparities in vaccine administration for communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic,” Dr. Jones said, addressing the med center community. “Please consider finding a way to help with this effort.”
“Over the last 12 months, we have seen the COVID-19 pandemic change lives significantly through death and chronic long-term effects,” said Jasmine Marcelin, MD, of the UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases.
“The most devastating impacts on severe illness, hospitalization, and death, has been felt by Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic people across the country. Here in Omaha, we too have seen and felt this impact. However, across the country, vaccine administration has been far from equitable. In Omaha, one of the communities experiencing challenges with vaccine access has been North Omaha, where there are few vaccine sites available, and people in the community may not have access to the locations in West Omaha.”
Last week, community partner Pastor Portia Cavitt of Claire Memorial United Methodist Church advocated to the Douglas County Board of Health for more vaccine sites, and on March 23 she hosted a pop-up clinic at Clair Memorial in collaboration with the North Omaha Area Clinic and staffed by UNMC College of Nursing students.
“But this one clinic is not enough to vaccinate North Omaha,” Dr. Marcelin said.
Dr. Marcelin called on the Nebraska Medicine/UNMC community to volunteer to help on one of the clinic dates and for health care providers to share information on the clinics with all minoritized patients.
Help people register for appointments with this link.
UNMC/Nebraska Medicine personnel also can help by distributing flyers in North Omaha this week. Contact Dr. Jones for more information about picking up flyers.
Vaccine clinic information:
- Where: Girls Inc., 2811 N. 45th St.
- When: Saturday, March 27, 2-6 p.m.
Dr. Jones and her team will continue to hold clinics on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 2-6 p.m. through May 16, except for on March 28 and Easter Sunday, April 4.
The age eligibility will decrease by approximately five years each successive week, per local and state recommendations. Volunteers will be offered a vaccine if desired.
Please do not sign up if unable to work the entire session; you can simply show up on that day and offer your help.
I am excited to see this much needed resource in the North Omaha community! Great job Drs. Jones and Marcelin!