NIHHC To Hold COVID-19 Vaccine & Testing Clinic Saturday
January 20, 2022 at 10:55 p.m.
By Staff Report-
The following services will be offered:
• Pfizer Vaccine: Ages 5 and older, first and second dose and booster available.
• Moderna Vaccine: Ages 18 and older, first and second dose and booster available.
• PCR COVID-19 Tests: Everyone is eligible.
No documents are required. Community members are encouraged to register for their appointments by calling or sending a WhatsApp message to NIHHC’s COVID-19 hotline at 574-206-3938 or by calling 1-877-21-SALUD (72583).
With safe and effective vaccination now available for ages 5 and up, Saturday’s clinic offers an opportunity to “protect ourselves, family members, friends, coworkers and community from COVID-19,” according to the news release from NIHHC.
COVID-19 cases are at all-time pandemic high – more than double the peak in January 2021. Elkhart County is at a red advisory level with a positivity rate of 23%. The current surge is fueled by the Omicron variant, which is highly contagious, and local public health official consider this week to just be the beginning of the peak, the news release states. At the same time, the Delta variant is still circulating.
Due to the sheer number of cases, hospitals in Elkhart County are reaching capacity and are also short-staffed, putting anyone needing healthcare at risk. Only 8.9% of ICU beds are available, and 38% of those beds are filled with COVID patients. The health department has also reported that the state supply of rapid tests are totally depleted.
Because of the high level of transmission under the current surge, local companies are mandating that their employees get vaccinated. Vaccinations remain key to helping stop the pandemic. They dramatically reduce the risk of serious illness and death, the release states. Boosters provide additional immunity against infection. The best way to protect yourself and others from the Omicron variant is to get vaccinated and boosted, according to the release.
“Vaccines play a pivotal role in getting the pandemic under control,” said Liliana Quintero, NIHHC’s executive director. “It is critical that we make them accessible. Protect your family and help keep those who are most vulnerable out of the hospital.”
Since July 2021, NIHHC has held eight four-hour COVID-19 vaccination clinics in northern Indiana, providing over 1,400 shots to the community. NIHHC offers bilingual, culturally sensitive services in locations where community members feel comfortable and safe, ensuring that everyone has access to the vaccine.
With support from the CDC Foundation and REAL Services, NIHHC’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, Unite Against COVID-19, reaches the community by partnering with trusted influencers and messengers, leaders, health care providers and community organizations and agencies. By building relationships with community members and offering bilingual, culturally sensitive services and education, NIHHC is working to help community members make informed decisions about vaccination.
The Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition’s mission is to provide preventative health care programs to the communities of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Noble and St. Joseph counties through education, advocacy, physician referral and research, so that they may lead healthier lifestyles.
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The following services will be offered:
• Pfizer Vaccine: Ages 5 and older, first and second dose and booster available.
• Moderna Vaccine: Ages 18 and older, first and second dose and booster available.
• PCR COVID-19 Tests: Everyone is eligible.
No documents are required. Community members are encouraged to register for their appointments by calling or sending a WhatsApp message to NIHHC’s COVID-19 hotline at 574-206-3938 or by calling 1-877-21-SALUD (72583).
With safe and effective vaccination now available for ages 5 and up, Saturday’s clinic offers an opportunity to “protect ourselves, family members, friends, coworkers and community from COVID-19,” according to the news release from NIHHC.
COVID-19 cases are at all-time pandemic high – more than double the peak in January 2021. Elkhart County is at a red advisory level with a positivity rate of 23%. The current surge is fueled by the Omicron variant, which is highly contagious, and local public health official consider this week to just be the beginning of the peak, the news release states. At the same time, the Delta variant is still circulating.
Due to the sheer number of cases, hospitals in Elkhart County are reaching capacity and are also short-staffed, putting anyone needing healthcare at risk. Only 8.9% of ICU beds are available, and 38% of those beds are filled with COVID patients. The health department has also reported that the state supply of rapid tests are totally depleted.
Because of the high level of transmission under the current surge, local companies are mandating that their employees get vaccinated. Vaccinations remain key to helping stop the pandemic. They dramatically reduce the risk of serious illness and death, the release states. Boosters provide additional immunity against infection. The best way to protect yourself and others from the Omicron variant is to get vaccinated and boosted, according to the release.
“Vaccines play a pivotal role in getting the pandemic under control,” said Liliana Quintero, NIHHC’s executive director. “It is critical that we make them accessible. Protect your family and help keep those who are most vulnerable out of the hospital.”
Since July 2021, NIHHC has held eight four-hour COVID-19 vaccination clinics in northern Indiana, providing over 1,400 shots to the community. NIHHC offers bilingual, culturally sensitive services in locations where community members feel comfortable and safe, ensuring that everyone has access to the vaccine.
With support from the CDC Foundation and REAL Services, NIHHC’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, Unite Against COVID-19, reaches the community by partnering with trusted influencers and messengers, leaders, health care providers and community organizations and agencies. By building relationships with community members and offering bilingual, culturally sensitive services and education, NIHHC is working to help community members make informed decisions about vaccination.
The Northern Indiana Hispanic Health Coalition’s mission is to provide preventative health care programs to the communities of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Noble and St. Joseph counties through education, advocacy, physician referral and research, so that they may lead healthier lifestyles.
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