This spring, the University’s Mobile Health Initiative has held several COVID vaccination clinics and informational events around the Twin Cities.
The first event was held on April 1 in partnership with the Southside Harm Reduction, a south Minneapolis organization that promotes the human rights to health, safety, autonomy and agency among people who use substances. The group provided COVID vaccine information and responded to questions around vaccines to increase confidence; provided blood pressure screenings; and distributed masks, hand sanitizer and other products to approximately 60 people.
“This group of people tends to not have access to a lot of resources and have skepticism about medical encounters, so initially they were not very enthused to hear about COVID vaccinations,” said Jonathan Kirsch, MD, assistant professor of medicine who leads the Mobile Health Initiative. “By using the C.A.S.E. (corroborate, about me, science, explain/advise) method to discuss vaccination, we found that a number of people were a lot more interested in and open to receiving the vaccination after we talked.”
The Mobile Health Initiative held a similar event on April 3 at the Mosaic Christian Community Church, which serves a multi-ethnic ministry in St. Paul’s East Side. More than 200 people attended the event, which included COVID vaccines education and a mask-making activity for children.
The Mobile Health Initiative also hosted COVID vaccine clinics: one held in partnership with the Twin Cities Chapter of Black Nurses Rock and the Power of People Leadership Institute on April 16, and one held on April 23 in partnership with Community-University Health Care Center at CAPI, a Twin Cities organization that helps immigrants, refugees and people of color connect with resources. More vaccination clinics will be held in May.
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