SOUTH CAROLINA, USA — Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- In an effort to vaccinate more people of color, the 7th District AME Church will begin to host vaccine sites Friday, March 19.
The event will be the first of many aimed at rural communities.
"It's in the heart of the community, and it's in the heart of the African-American communities," said Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr., who presides over 500-plus AME churches in South Carolina.
In a historic partnership between the AME Church in South Carolina and Walgreens, vaccine clinics will start to pop-up in communities that need them most.
"We have 500 vaccinations and we want to put all 500 shots in the arms of the population who deserves and who needs to have this vaccine," said Green.
The first clinic will be in Columbia, the second in Mount Pleasant. Both will distribute the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Recipients can fill out a form on-site and will not need an appointment.
"There have been many who have tried to be vaccinated through the portals that are out there, but they ran into roadblocks, or the number was busy, or they didn't get an answer, or the appointments were full," said Green.
The church is setting up in spots where vaccine rates are low and the risk of dying from COVID-19 is high.
Bishop Green, who got his vaccine, says Friday's event will be groundbreaking - delivering life-saving shots from a familiar place with familiar faces.
"As the church becomes a site, it is a trusted partner already in the community," said Green. "More people will go to the church as opposed to going to a fairground or going to a clinic. This is a comfort zone for them."
Walgreens tells us this partnership is part of the company's Vaccine Equity Initiative which launched last month.
They've hosted clinics in over 100 underserved communities across the nation so far.
In a statement, Walgreens Corporate Spokesperson, Erin Loverher, tells News 19 in-part: "The is a multifaceted effort that includes creating solutions for access barriers like lack of transportation, facilitating educational programs that address hesitancy, and fostering partnerships that best meet the needs of each community.
Our local partners, such as the AME Church, have strong grassroots networks and can successfully get the word out to eligible members of the community through measures like flyers, word of mouth, website banners, and notices that are posted in church bulletins and newsletters.
As one of the first pharmacy partners to bring vaccinations to America, we share the nation’s enthusiasm to get people vaccinated safely, equitably, and as quickly as possible, and we are thrilled to partner with the AME Church and are looking forward to a successful clinic in Columbia this Friday, March 19."
The locations for the upcoming clinics are:
- (Friday, March 19)
Reid Chapel AME Church
704 Gabriel Street
Columbia, SC 29203
- (Thursday, March 25)
Greater Goodwill AME Church
2818 N. Hwy 17
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466
Both clinics will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each site will have 500 Johnson & Johnson vaccines to distribute.
Next week, the AME Church will be rolling out a partnership with Prisma Health to distribute even more vaccines to rural communities. Green says they are also in talks with CVS.
"I believe that we are in the tunnel, but we see light at the end of the tunnel. We will be able to come out of the tunnel if more of us would step up and get vaccinated and continue to wear the mask, continue to wash our hands, and continue to practice social distancing," said Green.
On March 21, members of the state's AME Church will participate in the National Day of Remembrance, in which they will remember those who lost their lives during the pandemic. March 21 will also mark the one-year anniversary of the church suspending in-person gatherings to protect communities from COVID-19.