Northwell Engages in New Outreach to Increase Vaccination Rates
As the Delta variant spreads, Northwell Health is engaging in many efforts to drive up New York City’s vaccination rate.
“We’re offering COVID-19 vaccines at train stations, museums, supermarket parking lots, food pantries, and open-air church and community events through mobile units. Vaccine “Pop Up” pods are also scheduled for neighborhoods, high school homecoming events, and back-to-school orientations, in addition to locations where undocumented workers congregate to find work. Appointments are welcome, but walk-ins are fine too,” said Reverend Barbara Felker, vice president of strategic community partnerships at Northwell Health.
Felker said Northwell has purposefully distributed the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines at community fairs and events where individuals and families with children over 12 were in attendance.
“That way, they don’t need to worry about us coming back or getting their second vaccine at a different location. The mobile units have worked well for large-scale events like National Night Out,” said Felker.
National Night Out, which occurs on August 3, is a community-building event that builds partnerships between residents and law enforcement officers.
Felker said the spread of the Delta variant changed the game. The Delta variant is more transmissible and is thought to cause more severe illness among unvaccinated individuals.
“We’re starting from square one as to how we approach this variant and how we educate the public. Northwell’s Health Equity Task Force has created a sub-committee that offers specific outreach and education information on COVID-19 and the Delta variant. We are partnering with different entities in the community like churches and nonprofits to reach out to individuals who are not yet vaccinated,” said Felker.
Northwell is also creating opportunities for vaccinated people to talk to unvaccinated people in safe and socially distanced settings.
“Then people who are not vaccinated can see there are no particular side effects, no significant risks. They see their own peers doing well and learn how getting vaccinated has changed their lives,” said Felker.
The health care provider is rewarding eventgoers who choose to get vaccinated through ticket giveaways.
“We have offered free tickets to attend certain events, like concerts and sports events, as incentives to get vaccinated. Once an individual is fully vaccinated, they can receive two free tickets to an event like a New York Islanders game,” said Felker.
Local community colleges have approached Northwell to provide vaccines to returning students.
“Some colleges will require students to be vaccinated before attending in-person classes. This could be an opportunity for us to provide vaccines to returning and new students,” said Felker.
Northwell is currently working on strategies to reach out to people experiencing homelessness.
“We’re contemplating new strategies to reach hesitant members of the community, including a door-to-door campaign in neighborhoods this fall. These types of efforts are meant to help people see that Northwell is there for them, and they shouldn’t wait to get vaccinated,” said Felker.
View a list of Northwell’s pop-up and regular vaccination locations here.
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