Lamont’s vaccine message

Governor joins Black leaders as he takes shot in appeal to community

BLOOMFIELD — Two months after the state’s first COVID-19 vaccinations, Gov. Ned Lamont drove from Greenwich to The First Cathedral Tuesday morning for his inoculation. He left no doubt about the message he hoped to send.

Lamont stood in the state’s largest predominantly Black church — said to be the largest church of any kind in New England — in a majority Black town, surrounded by several of the state’s most prominent African American leaders.

The chief justice of the state Supreme Court. The state’s highest Black elected official. The Baptist archbishop. The only Black mayor in Connecticut; the CEO of one of the state’s largest hospital systems; the vice chairman of the legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican caucus, who represents Bloomfield; the civil rights leader who’s pastor of large churches in Hartford and New Haven.

Every one of them made the same point without subtlety. If you’re African American, sign up for the vaccine as soon as you can; it’s safe and effective and the community needs you to participate.

"We have the best health care leaders, religious leaders, political leaders, judicial leaders in the state to tell people, in this case the Black and brown community, it’s really important that you get vaccinated.” Gov. Ned Lamont

All of them came to support Lamont as he joined a vaccination clinic, set up just for the day on Tuesday, where he was, as it happened, the only white person sitting for the vaccine.

Data is inconclusive but it appears to show vaccinations among Latino and especially Black Connecticut residents lag the rate among white people. Most people agree that’s both because outreach in minority communities has not been strong enough to meet the need, and demand in those communities has not been as strong as it is in many predominantly white places.

“We have said to our people on Sunday that they are to receive the vaccine,” said Archbishop LeRoy Bailey Jr., senior pastor at The First Cathedral, “and put all their confidence and faith in God.”

Or, Chief Justice Richard Robinson of the Connecticut Supreme Court suggested, in science. He and others referred to the long history of racial inequity in the health care system. “There are reasons for African Americans to mistrust, but there are also reasons for African Americans to trust” the vaccine, he said.

State Treasurer Shawn Wooden talked about the shocking number of his own extended family mambers across the country who said, on the Thanksgiving Zoom, that they would hesitate to take the vaccine, or not take it at all.

We have to do better,” said state Rep. Bobby Gibson, D-Bloomfield.

Bloomfield Mayor Suzette DeBeatham-Brown said the vaccine is the “light at the end of the tunnel” when it comes to battling this virus. And Reginald Eadie, CEO of Trinity Health of New England, parent of St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, said, ”We pride ourselves in our ability to provide equitable care to all our communities.”

Lamont could have taken the vaccine on that first day it was offered, Dec. 14. He thought about it as a way to show leadership, but said at the time that he decided not to jump the line. With vaccinations now open to anyone 65 or over, Lamont, 67, could have signed up online at whatever location came up.

Instead, he chose to use his moment at the needle to make a point.

“All I’m saying is, get vaccinated. We have the best health care leaders, religious leaders, political leaders, judicial leaders in the state to tell people, in this case the Black and brown community, it’s really important that you get vaccinated.”

And he had a great time doing it. He joked that his wife is suffering from “vaccine envy” since she isn’t yet eligible.

“Sixty-five has its privileges,” he said as Patrice Marriott, nursing professional development specialist at St. Francis Hospital and parent Trinity Health of New England, did the painless deed.

“I’m sorry you’re too young but your time will come,” he said to reporters and photographers. “I feel better already.”

Brad Horrigan / Associated Press Gov. Ned Lamont receives his first dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine at The First Cathedral church Tuesday in Bloomfield. Administering the vaccine is St. Francis Hospital registered nurse Patrice Marriott.