2021-03-01 15:54:00 Alana Hippensteele, Editor Although it has taken both time and effort to address the equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccinations in communities across the country, in communities such as Prince George’s County in Maryland, significant effort has been made to address barriers to vaccination access, according to a webinar hosted by the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS).
“The vaccines came out so fast that we were really building the infrastructure as vaccines were coming in, but we now have a call line, so for folks who cannot register online or who don’t have an email address, those are no longer barriers,” said Alison Mendoza-Walters, MPH, MBA, health planner, Prince George’s County Department of Health, during the webinar.
Mendoza-Walters further explained that the Prince George’s County Health Department has been doing on-site vaccinations and has partnered with a pharmacy that is managing a mobile vaccination clinic for further support of those who may have difficulty in reaching vaccination clinics for reasons such as lack of transport.
“There is also a mobile registration team that does on-site registrations in communities for folks who don’t have the equipment or time to hit refresh 10,000 times for the online portal,” Mendoza-Walters said. “Of course, we’re always still innovating and always working on how to best reach folks.”
In order to breach issues regarding vaccine hesitancy in communities, Mendoza-Walters noted that information sharing is critical. She explained that she has found information sharing to be an important tool to spread the word in Prince George’s County regarding the safety and efficacy of available COVID-19 vaccines.
“We’re just trying to flood the county with good, credible information through every partner, through every means that we can,” Mendoza-Walters said during the webinar.
Additionally, with the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program providing federally qualified health centers with access to COVID-19 vaccines, there will be more opportunities for COVID-19 vaccinations to reach community members out in the field. However, the issue of supply remains even with this broader access, according to Michelle Cantu, the director of infectious disease and immunization at the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
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