3K Burlington County Residents To Be Vaccinated At Popup Event

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Nearly 3,000 Burlington County residents will receive the COVID-19 vaccine during a three-day popup event this weekend, Virtua Health officials announced on Thursday.

The clinic, sponsored by Virtua, Burlington County, and several partner organizations, takes place from Friday through Sunday, officials said.

Vaccines are being administered by appointment only, and all appointments have been allocated in advance, officials said.

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The church’s leadership has been instrumental in preparing the facility for clinic operations and encouraging vaccination registration, officials said.

The event is being held in an effort to make the vaccine more available to under-represented communities, officials said.

It is being held as a pilot program, and Tabernacle Baptist Church was chosen to host it because of its predominantly Black and African American congregation, officials said.

The CDC reports that, as of March 17, race/ethnicity demographic information was available for 39.8 million vaccine recipients nationwide. Of that group, 8.7 percent identify as Hispanic/Latino and 7.7 percent identify as Black, Non-Hispanic. For context, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 18.5 percent of all Americans identify as Hispanic/Latino and 13.4 percent as Black or African American.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that, as of March 15, Black residents of New Jersey account for 5 percent of COVID-19 vaccinations statewide while representing 12 percent of the overall population.

NJ Advance Media reports that the percentage of those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine in Burlington County is 73 percent lower than the percentage of the population of Burlington County who count themselves as Black.

As of Thursday, there have been 32,450 coronavirus cases, 730 confirmed deaths and 74 probable deaths in Burlington County since the pandemic began more than a year ago, according to statistics provided by the Burlington County Health Department.

Virtua Health said it has a longstanding relationship with the church and its community. Virtua’s mobile programs, including the Eat Well Mobile Farmers Market and Mobile Pediatric Services Unit, pay regular visits.

Joining Virtua Health in this outreach initiative are the Burlington County Department of Health, the Burlington County Office of Emergency Management, the Burlington City Police Department, Burlington City Emergency Medical Services, and the Burlington City Office of Emergency Management.