AUSTIN (KXAN) — As we learn more about the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine, clinics in lower-income communities are waiting to see what the process will look like for them.
Every week, Nancy Sanchez sees the devastating impact of COVID-19 at the People’s Community Clinic, where the mission is to improve the health of medically underserved and uninsured Central Texans by providing high quality, affordable health care with dignity and respect.
Sanchez is a community health worker at the clinic and works very closely with COVID-19-positive patients struggling with the virus and on the brink of losing almost everything they have.
"A lot of our community members work at places like H-E-B and home health care... so a lot of the jobs they have require them to have interaction with people," said Sanchez.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, people who work within those career fields or live in marginalized communities are adversely impacted by the virus, and the vaccine could be essential for their health. That is why education about the vaccine is the top priority for many medical providers in low-income communities.
"Another piece of preparation is trying to get together appropriate education materials so that patients have the information they need to feel comfortable with the vaccine, including understanding the benefits of the vaccine and as well as what the side effects might be," said Dr. Louis Appel, Chief Medical Officer of People's Community Clinic.
Dr. Appel told KXAN another focus for the clinic is logistical barriers to accessing the vaccine.
"The first vaccine that will be out is going to require deep cold, storage freezing, but we don’t have that type of freezing on site, so we are waiting to hear from the state on how that will work," Dr. Appel said.
As of now, clinics like People's will prioritize vaccine distribution with staff and higher-risk populations.
Many clinics and hospitals hope to find out more details about when they could receive the vaccine this month.
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