FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2021
CITY OF JACKSON TO HOST VACCINATION DAY ON SATURDAY
2,000 Covid-19 Vaccine Doses to be Administered to Jackson Residents in Special One Day Event on February 20th Aimed at Reaching City’s Most Vulnerable
(JACKSON, MS) – TODAY, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba announced that the City of Jackson, together with a host of dedicated local health partners, will administer two thousand Covid-19 vaccine doses to Jackson residents in a special Vaccination Day event, this Saturday, February 20th, 2021, at the Jackson Convention Complex. The event specifically aims to reach seniors and other vulnerable residents and is a direct response to concerns of limited access to vaccines within the City of Jackson, the state’s most populous municipality with a near 85 percent Black population.
The Vaccination Day event will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Jackson residents must call to register in advance and meet state eligibility requirements in order to receive their first vaccination dose. (Current state guidelines identify adults 65 and over and those with certain chronic health conditions as being eligible for vaccination at this time.) All recipients will be eligible and registered for their second dose before leaving the event.
To learn more, save a spot, or save a spot for a loved one, Jackson residents must call one of three hotlines. Volunteers will be on hand to assist with registration and confirmation of eligibility. Spots are first-come, first-serve, and will run out quickly.
Phone lines will be open Thursday, February 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and again Friday, February 19th from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Hotline 1- 601.446.3778
- Hotline 2- 601.446.3566
- Hotline 3- 601.446.3255
Masks will be required by all in attendance and social distancing guidelines will be strictly observed. Only those registered will be permitted to enter the event. Special “curb-side” accommodations will be provided for those with mobility issues.
“The best chance we have at beating Covid-19 and returning to some semblance of normalcy is to make sure that we all get vaccinated,” said Mayor Lumumba. “This should start with our most vulnerable populations. However, in Jackson, so many of our residents, especially our elders, have limited access to technology and are neither able to register for a vaccine online nor able to travel outside our City limits to get one. Further, many community resources that would normally help to bridge these gaps are closed or limited in capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions.
“We recognize that two thousand doses merely scratch the surface of what needs to be accomplished, but it is a start and we are working to make even more doses available in Jackson. We are thankful to the Covid-19 Task Force, Dr. Dobbs, Dr. Quinn, Dr. Phillips, Dr. Reeves, Hinds Community College and so many more for working with us to make this day possible. And, we look forward to a continued partnership to ensure every Jacksonian has access to a vaccine.”
Among the many local partners and health providers responsible for helping the City to coordinate, staff and administer two thousand vaccines during Jackson’s first Vaccination Day are, the Mayor’s Covid 19 Task Force, the Mississippi State Department of Health, Hinds Community College, the Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association, Merit Health, Jackson Convention Complex, Visit Jackson, Jackson Public Schools, Dr. Errick Greene, the City of Jackson Employee Clinic, Turner Health Care, Jackson State University College of Health Sciences, Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center, Quinn Healthcare, Dr. Vonda Reeves, Dr. Hursie Davis Sullivan, Overtime Sports, Bilal Qizilbash, Jackson Fire Department, Jackson Police Department, Amerigroup and more.
Call for Volunteers:
It is not possible to pull off an event such as this without an army of dedicated volunteers. As such, the City is also calling for volunteers to help with day of event logistics from registration to guides to runners and more. Interested persons must be available from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, February 20th to help run the event, as well as for in-person training on Friday, February 19th beginning at 3:00 pm. To volunteer email: volunteer@jackson.gov or call 601-960-2324.
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