DC COVID-19 task force: coronavirus vaccine
The organizations collectively hired and deployed around 150 people dedicated to engaging with unvaccinated neighbors in their communities.
WASHINGTON — A new vaccine outreach team began working this week in D.C. to help boost the city’s efforts to get residents vaccinated.
The goal is to have the team members engage with unvaccinated people in their community and develop a plan to get them a shot.
The city is working closely with several community-based organizations and leveraging those relationships to connect with unvaccinated residents.
One of the added benefits is that the outreach team is getting paid.
The organizations collectively hired and deployed around 150 people dedicated to engaging with unvaccinated neighbors in their communities.
The group is going door-to-door to find those people who may be easily missed to help get them the information.
The team will also work with faith leaders, barbershops, beauty salons, and youth organizations to hear residents’ concerns, share accurate and reliable vaccine information, and then follow up to make sure the people they connected with follow through.
“All of these people who have been working east of the river mostly are going to be working with people where we know 8 out of every 10 deaths from COVID are African Americans and many of them come from these communities,” Ronald Moten, owner of Check It Enterprises, said. “So, this is intentional, and it is work that has to be done.”
Check It Enterprises is one of at least seven organizations the city is working with for the effort.
“Our goal is to keep people safe, keep people alive, and keep us moving back towards a normal life,” Moten said.
The vaccine outreach team is expected to be working for at least two months.
The community can support the efforts by joining the D.C. COVID-19 Community Corps Day of Action on Juneteenth or Saturday, June 19.
The goal of the Day of Action is to engage with neighbors who have not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 and help them make a plan to get vaccinated.
If you are interested in participating, CLICK HERE to register or learn more.
