Clinics Bring Vaccine To Underserved Groups In Manatee, Sarasota

SARASOTA, FL — Tidewell Hospice is partnering with several grassroots community organizations to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to high-risk and underserved populations in Sarasota and Manatee counties, according to a news release from Tidewell.

The community partners have scheduled vaccine clinics in predominantly African American and Latinx neighborhoods, as well as a homeless outreach in Sarasota and Manatee, Tidewell said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the already disparate treatment and care of vulnerable multicultural populations across the nation, as well as Sarasota and Manatee counties, Tidewell said.

Originally, Tidewell planned to distribute the Johnson & Johnson vaccine through these clinics. But they replaced it with the Moderna vaccine following the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to pause the use of J&J because of blood-clot concerns.

While the clinics will go on as scheduled, fewer people will receive the vaccine with this change because Moderna is a two-shot vaccine, Tidewell said. Second-dose clinics have been or will be scheduled for those who receive their first shots through Tidewell.

The following first-dose clinics are scheduled:

• Wednesday, April 14, 4 to 8 p.m. – Bethlehem Baptist Church, 1680 18th Street, Sarasota
• Saturday, April 17, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – St. Jude Catholic Church, 3930 17th Street, Sarasota
• Thursday, April 22, 2 to 6 p.m. – The Salvation Army, 1204 14th Street West, Bradenton
• Thursday, April 29, 4 to 8 p.m. – Dream Center (Bayside Church), 1816 Ninth Street West, Bradenton

The following second-dose clinics are scheduled:

• Wednesday, May 12, 4 to 8 p.m. – Bethlehem Baptist Church
• Saturday, May 15, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. – St. Jude Catholic Church
• Thursday, May 27, 4 to 8 p.m. – Dream Center (Bayside Church)

A second clinic will also be scheduled at The Salvation Army in Bradenton, Tidewell said. The date and time for that clinic will be announced soon.

Tidewell Hospice clinicians and volunteer nurses will administer the vaccine. Staff and volunteers from Tidewell and the community organizations will provide logistical support at the sites.

The Sarasota Chapter of the NAACP, UnidosNow, The Salvation Army and Bayside Community Church are hosting clinics and registering participants.

Other coalition members include Light of the World International Church, Bethlehem Baptist Church, St. Jude Catholic Church, Bethel CME Church, Greater Hurst Chapel AME Church, Trinity Christian Fellowship Church, Suncoast Women of Action, Gulf Coast Medical Society, Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness and Multicultural Health Institute.

Trevor Harvey, the president of the Sarasota Chapter of the NAACP, said his organization’s goal is to bring a coalition of churches and other grassroots organizations together to create equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination within Black and brown communities.

“Oftentimes, there are a number of underlying challenges that communities of color are presented with, and one way to have an equitable process is to bring the resources into the community,” he said. “This partnership with Tidewell is a result of our continued advocacy work to help achieve the goal and close the gap.”

UnidosNow Executive Director Luz Corcuera said, “In 2020, UnidosNow received an unexpected and treasured gift in the form of a partnership with Tidewell. We worked providing education, outreach and linkage to referrals through The Multicultural Action Teams to the neighborhoods deeply affected by COVID-19. We are glad to continue our partnership to bring the vaccines to members of the Latinx community that face transportation, language, and access barriers."

For more information on coronavirus vaccines in Florida, see the Florida Patch COVID-19 vaccination page.