MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. - Ever since the vaccination process started in late December, officials in Manatee County have been clear that they want it to be fair for all seniors.
What You Need To Know
- Some seniors in Rubonia don’t have access to a car or internet
- MCR Health used word-of-mouth advertising to spread word of event
- More Coronavirus headlines
- More Manatee County headlines
They created a lottery system, but with more than 150,000 seniors registered, it seems that people in some minority communities were still being left behind.
MCR Health stepped in to help those in underserved neighborhoods. On Tuesday, they held their second vaccination event at Rubonia Community Center. They handed out fliers in the community and only advertised using word-of-mouth.
The COVID-19 pandemic has ripped around the community in Rubonia, which has a high senior and minority population.
“A lot of people don’t want to talk about it when they do get it, but its been pretty bad in the neighborhood,” said Rubonia native Louis Goff. “Being such an older community we have a lot of people where if the vaccine is not close to them, they will not get it. They don’t like to leave Rubonia.”
Some seniors in Rubonia don’t have access to a car or internet, leaving them at a disadvantage when booking a vaccine appointment. By handing out fliers, it helped seniors in this small community have a chance to speak with an operator on the phone and set up an appointment.
“Now I feel good since I got it!,” laughed resident Classie Edwards.
To date, just 1.8% of those who have been vaccinated in Manatee County are African American.
Currently. MCR Health is getting the vaccine through the Manatee County Department of Health. Due to the fact they are a federally qualified healthcare center, the have the ability to secure the vaccine from different sources going forward.