Banding together during a time of struggle is important. Blue Cross is doing that by partnering with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and other local organizations to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines across the state by bringing mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinics to communities that may not otherwise have easy access.
This spring, Metro Transit, a Blue Cross partner, transformed six buses into mobile vaccination clinics by removing seats and installing new equipment. Staffed with a rotation of more than 700 vaccinated Blue Cross volunteers, the buses began rolling to under-resourced communities throughout the state to administer vaccines. The volunteers served people who would otherwise have a difficult time getting vaccines because of transportation, technology, location, or language barriers.
MDH has worked with the selected communities to promote the mobile clinics and get people registered. The clinics can vaccinate any Minnesotan 18 or older regardless of citizenship status, and each bus can vaccinate more than 100 people each day.
During the first two weeks of the effort, more than 1,000 vaccines were distributed. One bus vaccinated people living without homes and other community members living in challenging circumstances, while the second bus vaccinated St. Paul residents living in the historic Rondo neighborhood, and older adults in Brooklyn Center and at the Hmong Town Market.
“I’ve been trying for months to get a COVID vaccine without luck,” said one community member. “I haven’t seen or hugged my grandkids in over a year.”
The buses will continue to operate throughout the summer.
“I’ve been so inspired by the hard work and dedication of our associates working on this project, both behind the scenes and out in the community,” says Jenna Carter, public affairs manager and MDH/Blue Cross Mobile Vaccination Bus community partnerships lead. “Our commitment to collaborating with community partners to get vaccines to those who have not had access is really incredible.”