A mobile vaccination clinic on board a re-vamped Metro Transit Bus made stops recently at Northtown Mall and the Coon Rapids YMCA. Seats were removed and vaccination stations installed. Clinical support comes from Blue Cross-Blue Shield.
“We know that there’s people who have barriers to getting the vaccine and the goal of this effort is to meet people where they’re at,” said Dr. Mark Steffen, the Chief Medical Officer for Blue Cross-Blue Shield. “So we want to get out in the bus, bring it to the people so that we can increase the amount of vaccines that are getting done in some of these communities where they don’t have as high a percentage as we’re seeing in others.”
According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 44 percent of Anoka County’s total population are vaccinated. That compares to 52 percent across the state. This is one of six buses taking the vaccine to underserved populations for the next three months.
“I’ll tell you what, this is a team sport so we need everybody with an all-in effort to go out and get the vaccine,” said Steffen. “It’s not until we get the vaccine widely distributed across the entire state that we’re going to be able to keep the infection numbers down, and really return to all the activities we all want to do.”
That was on Michael Ledman’s mind as he got his COVID-19 vaccine on the bus.
“My biggest concern throughout all of this was giving it to other people, and sharing it with other people because I didn’t want to do that,” said Ledman. “So I’m very grateful now that no one is going to be able to share it with me. And if I do the symptoms will be less.”
Anoka County Public Health is also working to increase vaccination numbers with clinics held around the county every week. They use 98 percent of the vaccine they receive. But officials say they would request more vaccine if they could convince more people to get it.
“Now that it’s opened up for everyone, now that 12 and up [can receive it] if we had more people to give the vaccine to, I would be making that request for that amount of vaccine, which then we would distribute and get into the arms of Anoka County Residents,” said Health Director Jonelle Hubbard.
Hubbard says why more people don’t get vaccinated is a good question.
“We are highly committed to figuring out why that is and trying to meet people where they’re at and trying to help educate. What we know is that education is a huge component,” Hubbard said.
The efforts include tapping community leaders of diverse cultural groups to help schedule clinics. They will even make house calls for those who are home-bound.
Several clinics are planned in early June. You can find out when and where by checking the Anoka County website, www.anokacounty.us, or calling their COVID information line: 763-324-4240.
