The Mississippi Department of Health is focusing some of the state's coronavirus vaccine doses towards partners in underserved communities. Community health centers are offering vaccines in rural communities and offer programs to connect residents with other vaccine providers. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says of the vaccines administered by community health centers, more than 70% are going towards African Americans. In other vaccine sites, he says that rate is only 18%. Dr. Dobbs says "We've identified them as invaluable partners in this fight, and just last week with our available allotment, of vaccine that was beyond the drive-thrus, community health centers were ordered 3,000 doses. That's the biggest segment of doses of vaccine, so you can see how seriously we take this partnership."
Janice Sherman is CEO of the Community Health Center Association of Mississippi, an organization with 21 facilities across the state caring for more than 300,000 patients. She says health centers are continuing to search for new ways to underserved communities, like using mobile clinics set up in convenient locations, or helping residents connect with other vaccine providers when supplies are limited. "Others have used social media pretty heavily in terms of posting the fact that the supply is available, the hours are available, and that you can actually get through on a phone line," says Sherman. "Some clinics have set up separate phone lines for folks to call and get the vaccine so you're not going through the regular channels and having to be on hold for inordinate amounts of time."
Health officials say one of the most limiting factors in the state's vaccine rollout is the supply of doses being sent from the federal government.
