COVID 19 vaccine

East Bay congressman calls for more vaccine clinics in neighborhoods hard-hit by COVID-19

ByCornell W. Barnard KGO logo

Monday, March 8, 2021

Rep. Swalwell promises more vaccines in hard-hit communities

Congressman Eric Swalwell is promising more coronavirus vaccine doses for some of the Bay Area's most hard-hit neighborhoods.

HAYWARD, Calif. (KGO) -- An East Bay congressman is promising more coronavirus vaccine doses for some of the Bay Area's most underserved communities.

Congressman Eric Swalwell visited a mobile clinic in Hayward Sunday located at a local church. The pastor says the need for vaccine in his community is real and overdue.

"We were driving to the mall, saw the line and said let's just do it," said Mohammed Khan.

Mohammed and Shabana Khan got in a long line for a COVID-19 vaccinations located on the grounds of Glad Tidings Church in Hayward.

Appointments were not required for this weekend mobile clinic, a partnership between the church and FEMA.

"Underserved communities suffered the most through COVID," said East Bay Congressman, Democratic Eric Swalwell.

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Swalwell toured the clinic but wants to see more of them where they're needed. He hopes President Biden's trillion dollar American Rescue Plan Act, aimed at providing relief and recourses during the pandemic will make it possible.

"The Colosseum site can do 8,000 per day but we need to go to minority communities that have been ignored or have concerns about vaccines," said Swalwell.

"Churches have been working closely saying, come'on we can do it, you got to do it," said Bishop Jerry Macklin from Glad Tidings Church.

Bishop Jerry Macklin says hosting this vaccine clinic at his church will help build trust in the community, where there's distrust of the vaccine.

"This site will bring people out those who otherwise would not go to the big centers," said Macklin.

Many Bay Area zip codes, hard-hit by coronavirus, have found themselves left out of California's new equity-focused vaccination distribution plan, including Hayward.

"The African American community, our numbers were sky high," said Macklin.

We're hoping by doing this, we can stem the tide of this COVID vaccine, and help getting people back to normal," said Hayward resident William Randolph.

1,400 vaccinations was the goal this weekend. The mobile clinic will return in three weeks to give second doses.

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