East Orange, NJ, May 4, 2021: Mayor Ted R. Green, the East Orange City Council and the Department of Health and Human Services, under the leadership of Dr. Monique Griffith, are ramping up citywide vaccination efforts by offering the Moderna Vaccine at various sites to all eligible East Orange residents and those working in the City of East Orange.
The mobile health clinic will make designated stops in each of the city’s wards beginning on Thursday, May 6. Walk ups are welcome while supplies last. *Full schedule listed below*
Mayor Green said the city has been preparing its plan for the COVID-19 Vaccine since last December when it first procured a 36-foot truck to refurbish as the mobile clinic. In addition, earlier this year, the Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management put out a call for medical volunteers to assist with community outreach.
The Mayor’s weekly COVID-19 Virtual Town Halls also featured top medical experts to address skepticism around vaccinations several months before the vaccine was available.
“We know our community well and we knew that we had to execute a long-term strategy in order to alleviate fears and get our community vaccinated,” said Mayor Green. “We understand historic concerns about the vaccine, and now frustrations with obtaining appointments, are two of our largest hurdles to overcome. This mobile health clinic allows us to bring critical information and access directly to the people of our community.”
Dr. Griffith said limited access to resources has been another obstacle, but her team has worked to increase and diversify partnerships so that getting the vaccine is as easy as possible.
“By making the COVID-19 vaccination more convenient and more accessible, especially to targeted segments of the population which are harder to reach, we are increasing our chances of stopping the spread of the coronavirus in and around East Orange and eventually restoring some sense of normalcy in our lives,” said Dr. Griffith.
As of May 4, East Orange had 7,017 positive coronavirus cases and 295 confirmed deaths, the second highest number in Essex County behind Newark. According to recent state data released by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, East Orange has a vaccination rate under 40% among its 65,000+ residents.
The Mobile Health Clinic, staffed by city health staff and medical volunteers, will travel to a designated community location that will double as a pop-up vaccine site. Pre-registration is strongly advised, but not mandatory as long as supplies last. Identification will be required and there are no out-of-pocket costs. Residents with a history of severe allergic reactions to medications or vaccines should consult their physician before scheduling an appointment.
For its initial rollout in March, the mobile health clinic focused on administering the vaccine to homebound senior citizens and those living in senior buildings. Once the vaccine became open to a wider population, the Health Department immediately expanded its outreach to include pop-up stops at its temporary bricks-and-mortar “mega” site at East Orange Campus High located at 344 Prospect Street, in addition to stops in the city’s high-traffic business corridors on Central Avenue and Main Street and partner locations throughout the city.
The schedule, locations and online registration links are as follows:
Third Ward, Thursday, May 6
Lotus 315, 315 South Harrison Street
https://calendly.com/.../east-orange-covid-19-vaccination...
First and Fifth Wards, Saturday, May 8
New Vision Baptist Church, 100 Warrington Place
https://calendly.com/.../east-orange-first_fifth-ward...
Second Ward, Monday, May 10
East Orange Senior Center, 90 Halsted Street
https://calendly.com/.../east-orange-second-ward-covid-19...
Fourth Ward, Wednesday, May 12
Fellowship Civic Center, 1 Fellowship Circle
https://calendly.com/.../east-orange-fourth-ward-covid-19...
For more information, to schedule an appointment or to volunteer, please call the Department of Health and Human Services at 973.266.5480.
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