PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Vaccine clinics are popping up everywhere, but this one is unique.
On Tuesday, residents, staff and volunteers at an East Germantown halfway house and recovery center will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We’re partnering with the health department and they are going to be administering Johnson & Johnson, the one-shot, to our community,” said Rev. Michelle Simmons, founder and executive director of Why Not Prosper.
Why Not Prosper, located on East Chelten Avenue, serves recently incarcerated women who are trying to re-enter the community.
Simmons said this community of formerly incarcerated women is especially in need.
“They got children and families, and jail has been a breeding place for COVID-19, so it’s important as they reintegrate. It’s important that they are safe and well,” she said.
So far, about 75 people have signed up.
“And we are teaming with another recovery house, so we think we will be well over 100 by Tuesday,” she added.
Simmons wants to make sure people who don’t have the means of getting to another vaccination site can get to this one.
“It’s brought to the hood,” she said. “It’s brought to them. There’s a lot of myths around the vaccination, and some of the Black and brown people are scared. They’re not knowledgeable about it. We had an information session with the health department, so we got to ask tough questions and people got more comfortable.”
The clinic will be held Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. She hopes to hold another one in the near future for the entire neighborhood.