FIXING THE GAP: CVS LAUNCHES VACCINATION SITES IN BLACK COMMUNITIES
By Clayton Gutzmore
Each day, the message for South Floridians to get vaccinated is being broadcasted everywhere. Unfortunately, black communities have had limited access to the vaccine. CVS decided to fix this problem by opening vaccination sites to get the vaccine out to more people. The convenience store company decided to partner with the South and North Dade Branches of the NAACP to announce the sites and promote everyone to get vaccinated from Covid 19. “We want to increase access to the vaccine. We are launching these sites in Black communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and we will continue to have equitable distribution of vaccines within these vulnerable communities” said Dr. Newton Walker, district leader of CVS Health.
The press conference for the vaccination sites happened on Friday, April 16 at the CVS in Miami Gardens. Civic leaders along with CVS pharmacists were present to share information about the sites and how imperative it is to get vaccinated now, “We do not want to go through another holiday season where we don’t see loved ones. It is important that we as a community get vaccinated because we thrive off those family interactions,” said Senator Dwight Bullard, President of the South Dade branch of the NAACP. The three Miami Dade vaccination sites are
stationed in the following locations: the YMCA of Allapattah Family Branch, Domino Park, and Charles Hadley Park. Each site will operate on different dates. The Allapattah location will be taking patients April 19 through the 23, Charles Hadley Park will be vaccinating people April 26 through the 30 and Domino Park will take patients May 3 through the 7. All sites require an appointment to get the vaccine.
Appointments can be made by calling 1-(855)-287-6789.
This endeavor by CVS is a response to criticism it received when the company initially rolled out the vaccine. According to Bullard, CVS locations in a few black communities in Miami Dade County did not have the vaccine available for residents. Bullard and the NAACP also acknowledged that a few CVS Y Mas stores were activated first with the vaccine before core black areas like Miami Gardens and Perrine. CVS met the NAACP to address the concerns and fix the blind spots in their rollout, “I was openly critical of them activating their CVS Y Mas stores before their core community stores. Since we’ve met they have been very deliberate towards activating stores in core black communities and they have been intentional towards the pop-up clinics in higher-risk communities like Allapattah and Liberty City,” said Bullard. What’s next is the continued push towards getting the vaccine out to more people. To book your appointment for your vaccination shot with CVS, call 1-(855)-287-6789.
