Erie County using $450,000 tool to get everyone vaccinated

Erie County is using a former mobile mammography unity to vaccinate people in hard to reach places.

The county used money from the federal CARES Act to pay for the van.

CANCELED LASTMONTH.BUT WITH LIMITS TODISTRIBUTION--AND ONLY A FEWDISTRIBUTIONSITES--THE COUNTY ISHOPEFUL THISMOBILEVACCINATION VAN--COULD SOON BESENT INTO "HARDERTO REACHPLACES"--TO MAKE SUREEVERYONE ISGETTING A SHOT.FRONT TO BACK--THIS FORMERMOBILEMAMMOGRAPHYUNIT--IS SUPPED UP--EQUIPPED TOHANDLE MEDICALEMERGENCIES--AND TRAUMAS.IT WILL ALSOBECOME A MOBILEVACCINATIONCLINIC--TRAVELING TO HARDTO REACH PLACESIN ERIE COUNTY--MAKING SUREEVERYONE IS ABLETO GET A COVID 19VACCINE.1.33 DRANTCH:HOW IMPORTANTOF A TOOL IS THISIN GETTINGTHERE?

GB: THIS ISAN EXTREMELYIMPORTANT TOOLTO REACH OUTAND PROVIDEPEOPLEHEALTHCARERELATED TO COVID19.

1.46BUT THAT WON'T BEFOR SOME TIME.ERIE COUNTY ISGETTING 2-THOUSAND DOSESOF THE COVIDVACCINE--EACH WEEK, FORTHE NEXT COUPLEOF WEEKS.1700 DOSES WILL BEUSED FOR PEOPLE--WHO ARE PART OFTHE 1B CATEGORY...AND WILL BE GIVENOUT AT THECOUNTY'S POINTSOF DISTRIBUTION.THE FOCUS IS ONTHOSE 9-THOUSANDPEOPLE--WHO'VE HAD THEIRAPPOINTMENTSCANCELLED...IT COULD TAKEWEEKS BEFORE THECOUNTY IS CAUGHTUP--AND SOME TIMEBEFORE THEY TAKETHESE COOLERSWITH VACCINE--ON THE ROAD--MOVING INTOUNDER SERVEDCOMMUNITIES.3.09 DRANTCH:WHEN ERIECOUNTY DOESRECEIVE ENOUGHVACCINE -- HOWOFTEN AND WHENWOULD YOU BE INTHESECOMMUNITIES?3.153.57 WE'RE HOPINGIN THE SPRINGWHEN PFIZER ANDMODERNA AREABLE TO RELEASEMORE DOSES OFVACCINE TO THEFEDS AND TO THESTATE ... WE'LL BEABLE TO GO OUTTO AREAS WHEREWE KNOW THEREARE DISPARITIESAND PEOPLE ARESTRUGGLING TOGET VACCINATED4.23THE COUNTY ISWORKING TOIDENTIFY POCKETSOF PEOPLE--WHO ARE HAVING AHARD TIME GETTINGVACCINATED--USING STATE DATAAND COMMUNITYPARTNERSHIPS--TO FIND THOSEFOLKS IN RURALPARTS OF THECOUNTY--PEOPLE WHOAREN'T ABLE TOLEAVE THEIRHOMES--AND IN URBANAREAS, WHEREVACCINE EQUITY--IS A TOP PRIORITY.13.31 FOR THESECOMMUNITIES OFCOLOR -- THEHEALTHCARESYSTEM HASN'TBEEN GOOD TOTHSECOMMUNITIES...AND I UNDERSTANDTHAT HC HAS NOTALWAYS DONE THERIGHT THING WITHTHOSEPOPULATIONS ANDWE HAVE TO BUILDUP TRUST AGAIN.13.47YOU JUST HAVE TOACKNOWLEDGE,ASK FORFORGIVENESS ANDASK FOR TRUSTAND THAT'S WHATWE'RE TRYING TODO .13.52IN THE MEANTIME,THIS 450-THOUSANDDOLLAR VAN--PAID FOR WITHMONEY FROM THEFEDERAL CARESACT--IS ACTING AS ACOMMAND CENTER--AT DIFFERENTPOINTS OFDISTRIBUTION INERIE COUNTY--AS THEY WAIT FORMORE VACCINEFROM THE STATE.THIS VAN IS JUSTANOTHER TOOL--FOR GREATEROUTREACH.FEW COUNTIES AREEQUIPPED WITHMOBILE CLINIC LIKETHIS--SO THEY'RE HOPINGTO USE THIS AS AREGIONAL ASSET.BUT AGAIN, NOTELLING WHENMORE VACCINE WILLBUT AGAIN, NOTELLING WHENMORE VACCINE WILLBE MADE AVAILABLE.MORE VACCINEFROM THE STATE.THIS VAN IS JUSTANOTHER TOOL--FOR GREATEROUTREACHFEW COUNTIES AREEQUIPPED WITHMOBILE CLINIC LIKETHISSO THEY'RE HOPINGTO USE THIS AS AREGIONAL ASSET.BUT AGAIN, NOTELLING WHENMORE VACCINE WILBE MADE AVAILABLE.