BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Pop-up vaccine sites in Western New York are opening to target the least vaccinated communities. Three zip codes in Buffalo (14208, 14215, 14211) are ranked in the lowest 10 percent of vaccination rates in the state.
“It’s just getting people to understand that this is so important because we are now dying,” the CEO of the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Dr. Lavonne Ansari, said. “This is now the time. We had the most-willing early now. Now, we have those that are younger that are not getting the message as clearly.”
The Northland Workforce Training Center is hosting a vaccine clinic on Friday, June 18, to target people on Buffalo's East Side.
“While we think we can relax because it is beautiful outside, this disease is still ravaging our communities, specifically our communities of color,” Ansari said. “This opportunity is so important because it sits in the heart of our community, but we still need to educate.”
Broadway Market will also host a clinic on Friday, June 18, to target the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood.
“Broadway Market is a great location for people who may not have been able to get to our other pop-up sites,” the Team Leader of Ambulatory Services at Erie County Medical Center, Jen Snyder said. “There’s a lot of space here and foot traffic here. People know where it is. It’s a pretty iconic location.”
Both the Northland sight and Broadway Market are giving out the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Northland will give out a minimum of 100 shots, so none go to waste.
“I think some people might be scared of the vaccine or nervous they might get sick from the vaccine, but it is important to recognize that sometimes having some symptoms after the vaccine like body aches and fevers, your body is doing exactly what it should be doing which is immune response,” Snyder said.
Only 32 percent in Allegany County are vaccinated, which is still the smallest percentage of the people vaccinated in the state. There will be a pop-up site in Cuba on Friday, June 18.
