BOSTON (WHDH) - Delayed by the nor’easter, a mass vaccination site opened at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury on Wednesday with a special community focus.
CDC statistics show that more than 60 percent of the vaccinations have gone to white people nationwide with only 11 percent going to Hispanics and 5 percent to Black people.
State health officials are working to build trust in the vaccine among communities of color.
“I don’t get the sense that they’re hesitant. I think that they… it’s a lot of information and people are coming for assistance,” said Valerie Robinson, President of Roxbury Community College.
Tens of thousands of doses of the vaccine are going to be delivered to 50 community health centers like the Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury.
“We are in Roxbury, we are in the heart of our city, and we want to make sure that folks within our own neighborhoods can get access so we are going to do that,” Chief of Health and Human Services Marty Martinez said. “So, it’s a balance, we need to get everybody vaccinated.”
Gov. Charlie Baker, who spent the day touring the site at Fenway Park, admitted the vaccine rollout has been bumpy.
“I get how unhappy many people are with the rollout,” he said.
The state website has been a confusing roadblock for many trying to register for an appointment.
Baker acknowledged it may take days or even weeks for people to get their first dose.
“One of the best things a good manager does is recognize and understand that they have a problem,” he said.
State officials are working to open a call center in the hopes of simplifying the process for residents.
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