Courtney Luciano Photo
Olivia Davis receives her J&J vaccine Wednesday at Immanuel Baptist.
One hundred people were “one and done” Wednesday thanks to the latest grassroots effort to stay ahead of a new Covid-19 surge — as a church, a funeral home, and health center teamed up in Dwight.
The action took place at Immanuel Baptist Church at Chapel and Day streets.
Cornell Scott Hill Health Center set up a one-day Covid vaccination clinic there in collaboration with the church and Howard K. Hill Funeral Home.
It offered shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — which, unlike other brands, requires only one injection, not two. One shot, and the person is done with the process.
Hill Health, the city and Yale have been organizing similar pop-up neighborhood clinics in a quest to outrun Covid-19 in addition to their regular standing vaccination sites. A new spike is producing growing numbers of cases, especially among younger people. At the same time, ramped-up vaccinations are leading to light at the end of the tunnel — with people everyday becoming largely immune to the deadly disease and ready gradually to resume pre-pandemic public life. The final big push begins Thursday as all people in Connecticut 16 and above are eligible for vaccinations.
Part of reaching the vaccination goal has meant tackling some wariness in communities of color. Hence the recent clinics in neighborhoods like Dwight, the Hill, Dixwell and Newhallville, as well as a grassroots campaign to vaccinate Fair Haveners.
(To make a vaccination appoint through Hill Health Center, call 203 – 503-3000.)
Organizers Michele Pullen and Sara Keiling at the clinic.
Churches have proved invaluable partners, as people sometimes feel most comfortable coming to their congregational home to get vaccinated.
Immanuel Baptist Pastor Samuel T. Ross-Lee said he advised congregants to learn about the Covid-19 vaccine through scientists, their health care providers, and further independent research.
“I didn’t get any direct conversation about skepticism,” Ross-Lee said. “I just gave out information. I’m not giving out medical advice. That’s not my position. And I know that there were suggestions from people that we do that, but I don’t think that’s my area.”
What made Wednesday’s clinic unusual was the added participation of Howard K. Hill Funeral Home, which is a block away. Michele Pullen, who works at Howard K. Hill, organized all of Wednesday’s sign-ups herself. Howard K. Hill has an aftercare program for families after services, and generally maintains strong links to families in the community.
Sisters Olivia Davis and Denise Haullums: protected against the coronavirus.
Olivia Davis, 70, said she had been hesitant about getting her Covid-19 shot. Even after one of her sisters signed her up, she said, she continued to go back and forth about following through. Davis has battled other personal health complications.
Finally decided she decided that she wants to move on past fear.
“If I’ve gone on this far, then I can go further. I know that eventually if I wanted to travel or something, I’m going to have to have that shot,” David said. “If I’m going to go, I’m going to go. But I want to live. I believe that I will.”
Davis received her shot side by side with a sister, Denise Haullums. The sisters agreed that their mutual support proved stronger than their skepticism towards the vaccine.
Hallums, 61, said that she was worried about receiving the Covid-19 vaccine in the beginning. She worried about whether vaccines had been thoroughly tested, and about potential side effects. (The Centers for Disease Control and other local and national health officials have proclaimed the vaccines safe and effective, in response to skepticism and conspiracy theories circulated through social media.)
“I don’t want to get sick or anything from it,” Hallums said. “But considering all of the enormous amount of individuals that have passed, I said to myself that I really don’t have anything to lose. I was very adamant about not getting it. I just rethought it and did some research about it. I’m always on the go and in public, so it’s beneficial to me to get this shot.”
Rajah Tucker, 26, who came to Wednesday’s clinic, works in the cafeteria throughout the Hamden public school system.
Tucker said that she was initially nervous about receiving her shot but was relieved after seeing her mother and sister survive theirs without further complications.
Rajah Tucker with Cornell Scott Hill Health Nurse, Tasheaka Jones.
“I’m happy it’s Johnson and Johnson because I didn’t want to have to come back again,” Tucker said. “The same way that my sister opened up the door for me to do it, now I can do the same thing for other people who are my age and are nervous about getting it.”
Robin Moody-Davis, Hill Health’s marketing and outreach specialist, said that services will continue to be extended with community programs, with a focus on Black and brown people.
“We came up with the idea of connecting with our community partners to host events in the community to try to meet the people where they are,” Moody-Davis said. “When you bring the centers into the community, people like the access and knowing they can go out their door and go a few blocks down to receive their Covid-19 vaccine. It makes a big difference.”
See below for information on where and how to schedule an appointment to get vaccinated.
• Yale New Haven Health System: Visit the website here or call 833-ASK-YNHH
• Cornell Scott Hill Health Center: Visit the website here or call 203 – 503-3000
• Fair Haven Community Health Care: Visit the website here or call 203 – 871-4179
Walgreens (436 Whalley Ave., 88 York St., or 87 Foxon St.): Visit the website here or call (203) 777‑8001 for 436 Whalley Ave. ; (203) 752‑9893 for 88 York St.; or (203) 469‑3016 for 87 Foxon St.
• Walmart (315 Foxon Blvd.) Visit the website here.
Thank you to Immanuel Baptist Church,
Cornell Scott Hill Health Center and Howard K. Hill Funeral Home for setting up a covid vaccine clinic for the Dwight neighborhood. Thank you to the brave community members who are getting vaccinated and spreading the word about the safety of the vaccine.
If we keep wearing our masks properly and staying 6 feet apart from others and as much as possible socializing outdoors when with others not from our households, and get fully vaccinated, we can stop the spread of the virus and stop new virus variants from developing that are immune to the vaccine. Just a little while longer, and we can reach herd immunity and get back to normal sooner.