March 19, 2021 | From City of New Orleans
City and Zulu Host Broad Street Vaccine Event on St. Joseph's Day
NEW ORLEANS — Today, on St. Joseph’s Day, the New Orleans Health Department and Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club partnered to provide COVID-19 vaccines to 200 eligible Zulu members and nearby residents.
"Zulu knows first hand the impact of the COVID-19 virus," said Zulu President Elroy James. "Because of this virus' impact, couple with the health disparity that exists in our community, Zulu is committed to doing its part to get shots into the arms of those impacted."
"Partnerships like this help us bring vaccines into communities where it is needed most," said Dr. Jennifer Avegno. "Today's event is a testament to the resilience of the zulu organization, the Broad Street neighborhoood, and New Orleans as a whole. We've experienced trememdous loss in the last year, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we could all see that today."
Elroy James has been an active member of the NOHD’s Vaccine Equity and Communications Working Group, which has been meeting biweekly since November of 2020 to discuss vaccine equity in Orleans Parish. Made up of community, faith, and public health leaders, the group has helped to identify community vaccine sites, spokespeople for the Sleeves Up NOLA campaign, and other opportunities to reach New Orleans’ vulnerable community members with vaccine information.
Zulu’s Headquarters were identified as a great location to offer COVID vaccines in the Broad Street area. Today’s event follows a months long vaccine effort with previous events in Central City, Gert Town, the Seventh Ward, Gentilly, the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans East, and on the West Bank. Community vaccine events are a part of NOHD’s strategy to ensure the life-saving COVID-19 vaccine is accessible to all residents, especially in communities of color and in neighborhoods where access to transportation, health insurance, housing, and jobs is limited.
Volunteers with the NOLA Ready Volunteer Corps and the Medical Reserve Corps continue to assist in the operations of vaccine distribution, appointment scheduling, and door to door canvassing.
For more information about the COVID-19 vaccines, who is currently eligible, and how to make an appointment, visit ready.nola.gov/vaccine.
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