The Bronx, USA
Residents of New York City’s South Bronx neighborhood received free COVID-19 tests and flu vaccines in December of 2020 thanks to a partnership between community organizations Red de Pueblos Transnacionales and The American Indian Community House (AICH) and the NYC Department of Health. The event was held in a furniture upholstery shop owned by Esteban Estevez, a community member connected to Red de Pueblos Transnacionales.
Community touchpoints like these are vital to the success of testing and vaccination events according to Angela Soto, Director of Community Health Promotion for the NYC Department of Health, not only in providing space for an event to take place but in establishing trust with community members who may otherwise be hesitant to engage. The Department of Health will apply the same model to its rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in communities where trust in government-run health campaigns is low and access to traditional vaccination locations (like big box pharmacies) is limited.
Janessa, an Associated Physicians nurse, processes registration paperwork for walk-in COVID testing and flu vaccine patients.
Maria Angela Soto, Director of Community Health Promotion for the NYC Department of Health. Soto said community flu vaccine events are laying the groundwork for the imminent rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.
From left: Janessa, Mandeep and Karma, Associated Physicians nurses. They exclusively work pop-up testing and vaccine events like this one, traveling throughout the entire tri-state region (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut).
From left: Omar (15), Jonathan (9), Lisbeth (20) and Jose (18) Luna-Ariza pose after receiving COVID tests and flu vaccines. Their mother, Yuogi, coordinates bi-weekly food distributions for Red de Pueblos Transnacional.
Esteban Estevez stands outside the entrance to his furniture upholstery workshop which he donated for the day as a community testing site. Providing testing and vaccines out of trusted community establishments like Estaban’s helps the NYC Department of Health abate hesitancy among community members about getting tested.
Lakowi:he'ne' Oakes, Executive Director of the American Indian Community House, stands outside the COVID-19 testing site.
Mr. Estevez encourages a passer-by to get a free COVID test and the flu vaccine.
A sign directing foot traffic to the free testing site.