Local Church Leaders Play A Role In The COVID-19 Vaccine

PHOENIX- Local church leaders play an important role in spreading the word about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, Dr. Cara Christ, the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, said Feb. 3 as she met with Valley religious groups.

COVID-19 remains present and a number of our daily activities are still limited, such as going to work, eating at restaurants and even attending religious assemblies.

People are leaning on those who they trust most, for guidance during this time.

“This is a critical step in getting back to normal, to hugging our loved ones, to having the ability to come together and sit next to one another in worship every week and to rebuilding our sense of community,” Dr. Warren Stewart, senior pastor of the First Institutional Baptist Church, said.

The only way that gatherings, such as religious assemblies, can return to full capacity is through getting as many people vaccinated as possible.

AZDHS recorded a total of 718,486 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 12,059 total deaths as of Wednesday.

Maricopa County reported a total of 249,426 doses of the vaccine distributed so far from their county vaccination sites.

The newest vaccination site opened on Monday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium and brought 21,000 additional appointments to Arizonans. These appointments booked within just 39 minutes.

Despite the struggles that many people have had with securing their appointment, the push for signing up for a vaccine has not decreased.

“Now it’s up to us. We will only get over the hump of this pandemic, safely back to work, in classrooms, in the pews, in restaurants and hotels and back into the arms of our loved ones by doing our part,” Rabbi John Linder, from Temple Solel, said. “When you are able, sign up and receive the vaccine. They save lives, save yours.”

Christ said that they have been working to enhance the AZDHS website to better serve everyone and took into consideration customer feedback. She acknowledged the frustration of the public.

The website no longer requires people to search for a day to find an appointment, it will now automatically show when the next available appointment is. They also fixed a feature which caused customers to lose their information when going back on a page. Additionally, the confirm button has been moved to the top of the page.

The number of COVID-19 cases combined among African Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics account for 37% of the total cases. Those who are White, non-Hispanic count for 36%.

Christ mentioned the importance of vaccine equity in those areas that have been impacted the most.

“We will also be working to get the vaccine into those hardest hit areas by ensuring that we’re using pharmacies that those communities have direct access to and getting mobile vaccination opportunities, as well as community events,” Christ said.

In the midst of uncertainty about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, Christ said that she is working on a campaign to build confidence in the vaccine and emphasized how important it is getting the vaccine once your turn comes up.

“Love your neighbor, get the vaccine,” Jennifer Reddall, the sixth episcopal bishop of Arizona, said.