New Central City Vaccine Clinics

Residents in the 53206 and 53210 ZIP codes will be able to get vaccines at eight walk-in clinics through June as part of a new effort to get more doses into the community.

The clinics will be held at COA Youth and Family’s Goldin Center, 2320 W. Burleigh St., and at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, 2626 W. Center St.

The first clinic will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 27 at the Goldin Center. Here are times and dates for the clinics:

COA Youth and Family Centers:

•March 27, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

•April 17, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

•May 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

•May 29, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Wisconsin Black Historical Society

•March 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

•April 24, noon to 4 p.m.

•May 15, noon to 4 p.m.

•June 5, noon to 4 p.m.

The clinics are walk-in only. Sister Patricia Rogers, executive director of the Dominican Center, said the first clinics will have 250 doses available of the Pfizer vaccine. Those who attend will be scheduled to receive their second dose.

The clinics are a joint effort of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, the Milwaukee Health Department, the Dominican Center, the Wisconsin Black Historical Society, COA Youth and Family Centers and Northwestern Mutual.

The Health Department will administer the shots and run the clinics. The community groups will organize the events and provide space and volunteers for set up. Northwestern Mutual is providing funding.

Organizers hope to reach residents in the Amani and Metcalf Park communities.

Both ZIP codes have predominantly Black populations. In Wisconsin, the Black community has had the most hospitalizations and second most deaths due to COVID-19. As of March 25, only 11% of Black residents in Milwaukee County had received a dose of the vaccine.

Melody McCurtis, deputy director of priorities and organizer with Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, noted the importance of having vaccines available in the 53210 ZIP code. The area was not included in the 10 priority ZIP codes for the county’s program.

McCurtis said the 53210 ZIP code was hit the hardest during the first six months of the pandemic. People are grateful for the opportunity to get the vaccine, she said.

“People will say ‘I’m scared but I’m still going to come get it because I’m tired of living like this,’” McCurtis said.

In a media briefing Thursday, Dr. Ben Weston, director of medical services for the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management, said the 10 most vulnerable ZIP codes were selected based on the Social Vulnerability Index, a metric from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The index measures things like poverty, lack of access to transportation and housing in order to determine an area’s effectiveness to respond to a disaster, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No process is going to be perfect,” Weston said. “However, we certainly hope to expand to more ZIP codes in the future.”

McCurtis said organizers hope to serve hundreds over their duration

Rogers said fliers have been distributed over the last few days to try and reach residents. She said the locations were chosen because they were “trusted places” in the neighborhoods.

“This is their way to help their own community get back to normal,” Rogers said. “This is how we help each other.”

There are Facebook events for the clinics at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society. Those interested in learning more can call 414-444-9930.

This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee.