TYLER, Texas — COVID-19 vaccination numbers across East Texas are lower than the rest of the country and the minority population here is lagging even farther behind. Our chief News photographer Alan Kasper went to a vaccination clinic at Texas College today to see what can be done about the situation.
Dr. Richard Hackney, a member of the NET Healthcare Task Force, says NET Health is parenting with Texas College to bring in staff, nurses and vaccinations to minority communities.
"I commend Texas College for doing this, showing the African-American community of Smith county that they care about their staff, their students, and just the whole community," Sherona Ray, of Gale Healthcare said.
Emails were sent out to surrounding neighborhoods letting know residents the COVID-19 vaccines were free. Residents and students were encouraged to come to the school and get a vaccine.
"I wanted to keep myself safe, my family safe," Clara Madison, a Texas College student, said. "My parents are elderly, so I want to be able to be around them more. I have small kids and I would like them to be safe, I want us to be able to go out and enjoy ourselves without being scared."
Hackney says Madison is exactly the type of person they're trying to get to come to get vaccinated — someone who the community will trust when they listen to her experience.
"In the African-American community I think we still need to get out, most of us are a little bit leery about getting the shot," Ray said. "You hear a few people say they’ve had a bad experience and all the sudden those few make everybody else not want to get it. It’s a lack of information, lack of knowledge, research."
Dr. Hackney called today’s clinic was a success, but he says road blocks like lack of Internet savvy, especially among seniors needs to be overcome. He also said the endorsement of the COVID-19 vaccines by Black churches is going to be crucial.
