Churches, mosques offering vaccinations
BRIDGEPORT — Local religious institutions are helping to win the fight against COVID-19.
“This Saturday we’re doing about 350 vaccines,” said Lamond Daniels, an ordained elder at Triumphant Christian Church on Park Avenue and one-time aide to former Mayor Bill Finch, on Thursday. “We’re just really excited to offer our space — our church — and just being a part of the strategy to encourage people of color (to get inoculated).”
Faith leaders and institutions, particularly those with predominantly Black and Hispanic members like Triumphant, are stepping up to convince parishioners wary of the science behind the medicines, or of side effects or their effectiveness, to get their shots to help stop the global pandemic.
“The vaccine hesitancy is real,” Daniels said. “We’re hoping people see our church to be a trusted place, a trusted resource.”
Triumphant appears to be, based
on registrations. Daniels said Saturday’s event was booked, with the second required shots being offered April 3.
On Sunday another prominent Bridgeport house of worship, the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Union Avenue, will also provide coronavirus inoculations.
“We’re trying to push some of our larger churches to take the role and the lead in allowing vaccines and vaccinations to take place in some of them,” William McCullough, head of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Greater Bridgeport, said Thursday.
McCullough was among the group of Black and Hispanic pastors who last Friday publicly received their shots. He had previously told Hearst Connecticut Media that religious leaders needed to play a greater role in encouraging their members to get vaccinated to help address the racial imbalance.
Last week the state released data showing that at least 39 percent of white Connecticut residents 65 and older had received a first dose, compared with 21 percent of Black residents in that age group and 27 percent of Hispanics. About one-third of those 65 and older who got their first dose did not report their race.
McCullough said vaccine availability remains an issue: “Vaccines are few in number around here.”
The state and city, along with local hospitals, health clinics and chain pharmacies, have all been working in recent weeks to boost supplies in Bridgeport, open vaccination sites and offer mobile shots as well.
While the COVID infection rate has been decreasing, much of Connecticut — Bridgeport included — remains under red alert, according to the state’s color-coded case map.
Dr. Khaled Elleithy, president of the Bridgeport Islamic Community Center on State Street downtown, said that organization also wants to do its part to help. The center is in talks with Yale New Haven Health to provide vaccines at its Sunday food pantries.
“We didn’t decide yet on the dates,” Elleithy said Thursday. “Maybe in three weeks or four.”
And the center also hopes to eventually offer its members inoculations when they gather for weekly Friday prayers.
“We are trying to promote this among people that the vaccination is important to take,” Elleithy said. “Certainly there are some people in doubt . ... We are very excited about this project. We believe it’s very important to get people vaccinated and raise the percentage in the area, state and country, so everybody is safe and, hopefully, back to their normal lives.”