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Vax facts, delivered door-to-door in New Haven

Red Cross, local leaders go door-knocking in Elm City's Hill neighborhood.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The American Red Cross wants to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to those most in need.

The organization partnered with the City of New Haven to distribute information through a door-knocking event. Volunteers were going door to door answering questions and giving out information about the vaccines Saturday in New Haven.

“We’re gonna go into the neighborhoods,” said Mario Bruno, the American Red Cross Regional CEO for the Connecticut and Rhode Island region. “We’re going to knock on every door. We’re going to ask them if they have their vaccine and if they don’t, we’re going to make sure they get the vaccine.”

The door-to-door event provided education on COVID-19 vaccinations in an underserved area of New Haven. About 15-20 volunteers and local leaders met at the New Haven Fire Training Academy Saturday morning.

“We’re are seeing cases rise again,” said New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.

Mayor Elicker, the New Haven Health Department, city representatives and local politicians including Senator Richard Blumenthal and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro helped spread the word.

“Equity and action means going to them, making sure that people have it where they live,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal. “That’s the great service that the Red Cross volunteers are going to provide today.”

“It’s a question of access and our underserved communities haven’t had the same kind of access that others have had nationwide,” Representative DeLauro said.

Mayor Elicker mentioned how Fair Haven Community Health Care made a similar effort with door-knocking events. He said The Hill neighborhood is another underserved community that would be a focus.

“We’ve found in general a higher percentage in New Haven in the Latinx population and there’s a lot more people in the Latinx population living in the Hill and Fair Haven, so we’ve seen higher cases in that area,” Mayor Elicker said.

Volunteers received packets with information showing the effectiveness and safety of the vaccination. They also distributed appointment cards for the FEMA mobile vaccination clinic.

The FEMA mobile vaccination unit will be located at the New Haven Green Thursday and Friday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.

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