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Durham organization goes door-to-door to administer vaccines

Loading up the bus for a special delivery, mobile vaccine units are rolling out and going door-to-door to get shots into arms.

Posted Updated

By
Lora Lavigne
, WRAL Durham reporter
DURHAM, N.C. — As the access to COVID-19 vaccines is expanded, there are also still many people who have barriers preventing them from signing up.

Loading up the bus for a special delivery, mobile vaccine units are rolling out and going door-to-door to get shots into arms.

On Wednesday, the efforts reached people In Franklin Village affordable housing apartments.

“In my predicament it feels good I ain’t got to run around getting on buses and trying to go here and go there," said Bernie Leftwhich.

He said trying to get an appointment in the past was nearly impossible. "Been waiting on a waitlist, getting the run around," he said.

Sheryl Smith learned about the mobile effort about two weeks ago when WRAL first covered its launch day. She said the need is great, so she immediately requested the mobile clinic to come to her neighborhood – and it did.

"Oh yes, as soon as y’all get started y’all coming to Franklin Village," she said.

She said she thinks it's awesome that the mobile unit is making it easier for everyone to get the shot.

Members of Durham’s WAR4Life organization are taking the on-the-ground approach to help close the vaccine gap by targeting pockets of underserved older adults, African Americans, non-English speakers and the disabled.

“We also know that not only is our community struggling in terms of access to COVID-19 vaccinations but just in healthcare in general. And we want to really begin to change the relationship that black and brown communities have with public health organizations," said Donald Hughes, an organizer.

About 18 people in Franklin Village received a long-anticipated dose of the Pfizer vaccine in a partnership with Chapel Hill Pediatrics, who supplied and administered the vaccines.

"It’s a good opportunity that they do come out to your houses and help you out with this," said Leftwhich.

Hughes calls improving accessibility among these communities "a big challenge, but with a very simple solution."

"We know that we’re not going to hit 200, 300, 400 people at one time, but if we can vaccinate five people at a time six people at a time and then eventually get our entire community vaccinated, then we would have done our jobs," said Hughes.

On Thursday, the mobile vaccine units will hit the road again to Burlington.

On Saturday, it’ll be back in Durham for a large-scale vaccine event with the African-American COVID Taskforce. Details on how to request the bus for your neighborhood can be found on their website.

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