SJ partners with local healthcare providers to connect vulnerable residents to COVID-19 vaccines
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- The City of San Jose announced it is teaming up with local nonprofits and healthcare providers to deliver vaccines to unhoused residents, persons with disabilities, and members of marginalized communities.
"As more supply became more available in our county, we started finding ways to support other healthcare providers to help augment the county's current vaccination efforts," Anh Tran, the city's Vaccination Task Force Director told ABC7 News.
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Tran explained the city has been able to partner with providers like Safeway and others to focus on where there are disparities.
ABC7 News was there on April 16, when San Jose City Hall hosted a vaccination event in partnership with the Federally Qualified Health Center AACI (Asian Americans for Community Involvement), local nursing students, and San José Fire Department personnel to administer 540 Moderna vaccines to community members. The focus then was to target the city's unhoused residents.
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"I think the biggest challenge for vaccinating the unhoused community is that the two-dose system requires a lot of engagement and outreach and education ahead of time. Building that trust so that we can get people to the vaccination sites, building vaccination acceptance and confidence," Tran continued. "Then also, now that we've done the first event at City Hall, we're gearing up with our partners to do more engagement, more outreach. So that we can get the same individuals back for their second dose."
"These opportunities connect our high-risk and most vulnerable San Joséan's with life-saving vaccines and other meaningful resources," said Mayor Sam Liccardo. "I'm grateful to Asian Americans for Community Involvement, the County and our other community partners for joining San José in our fight against COVID-19."
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