NEWTOWN MEDICAL CENTER OFFERS VACCINATIONS TO 400 PEOPLE

Eric Bolden

About 400 people stood in the line while it was raining, waiting for the opportunity to get their first vaccinations for Covid-19. The building on Martin Luther King Jr. way, had a line that stretched off the street. Through an appointment system many above the age of 65 were able to go in, receive their vaccination shots, and leave in a matter of minutes. Wilhelmine Wiese Rometsch, a Program Director who assisted in the distribution, tells us that the process involves getting as much information of the vaccine to as many people as they can, giving them a form to sign and registering them, until finally getting the shot. They also make sure to monitor people of their medical history to see if the vaccine has any additional effects.

Many of the people there were ecstatic to receive their vaccinations.

“It is very necessary if we are ever to get past this pandemic.” Said resident Bernice Heggs, “We must take the necessary first steps…”

One notable person to get Vaccinated was Pastor Kelvin L. Lumpkin of Light, who used his position to encourage his church-goers to get vaccinated. He said that he has done his research and knows how important the vaccine is. When asked about how important the vaccine is to the black community, he brings up how since African Americans have more underlying conditions, the vaccine is a great need for us.

Despite the vaccine now reaching many people and soon to reach many more, we are not out of the words yet Some still have concerns about how many people will take the vaccine, and how it will affect the world. Rometsch stated,

“The vaccine is 94 to 95% effective. The problem is we don’t know who is in that 5% that won’t be affected. So, we still have to use masks, we still have to use the same precautions.”

The future of the black community and all of America will depend on how many take the vaccine, and how cautions we remain when going outside.