The Springfield Housing Authority provided residents with flu and COVID-19 shots at a recent pop-up clinic after partnering with the Behavioral Health Network and Gandara Center.
The clinic was open to all public housing residents and was held between 10 am and 2 pm in the Deborah Barton Community Room at the Sullivan Apartments, located on Nursery Street.
Anyone over the age of 5 who was eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine could attend. The clinic provided the community with all available vaccines, including Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. If residents came to get vaccinated against the flu, they also received it.
For some residents, it was their first shot since COVID hit in 2020. Others were there for the booster shot, including Ysabel Garcia and her mother, Melania Peralta de Garcia.
“I’m here with my mom and I’m making it a family affair,” Garcia joked. “In all seriousness, I’m here to get my backup because so far so good.”
Zenaida Burgos, who facilitated the clinic at Sullivan, said she was thrilled to have the opportunity to bring a vaccination clinic close to home. “This makes it possible for those who want to get vaccinated in a familiar and safe place,” she Burgos said. “I love meeting you where you are, one step at a time.”
Housing Authority Executive Director Denise R. Jordan stopped by to speak with residents and bring bottled water for the vaccination team. Jordan was able to give free covid tests to anyone who received a vaccine.
“We are very grateful that BHN and Gandara have given us the opportunity to host this vaccine clinic on our site,” said Jordan.
Translated by Damaris Pérez-Pizarro for El Pueblo Latino
–
