BRIDGEPORT—Blessed Sacrament Parish in Bridgeport become the third parish in the diocese to host a mobile vaccine clinic this week, with more than 60 people a day coming forward to receive the free COVID-19 vaccine in their own neighborhood.
The mobile clinic was sponsored by FEMA, the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health, and St. Vincent’s Medical Center/Hartford Healthcare working in partnership with the Diocese of Bridgeport.
People were invited to schedule an appointment or walk in and receive a vaccine. The only requirement was they be age 12 and over, and that anyone between the ages of 12–17 be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
On Tuesday, nurses were administering the Pfizer vaccine to parishioners and neighbors under a white tent in the parish parking lot alongside its beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. Throughout the week Johnson & Johnson vaccine was also available by request.
Father Joseph “Skip” Karcsinski, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish, was on hand to greet the staff and some of people of all ages who were vaccinated. He said that he encouraged his parishioners to come forward to protect themselves and others, and he tried to set the example by getting vaccinated in advance and assuring parishioners that it is safe and effective.
“Bringing it to the parish and the neighborhood is a good thing,” he said. “It makes it accessible to them in an environment that they know and trust.”
Bill Hoey, vice president of Mission Integration at St. Vincent’s/Hartford Healthcare, said the hospital is moving away from mega-sites to more targeted mobile delivery to neighborhoods that have a much lower vaccination rate than the rest of the state.
“We’re looking forward to working with the diocese and its parishes in order to reach out to people who may face barriers to vaccination and make sure it is accessible to all,” he said.
(In recent weeks, the mobile clinic also served more than 200 parishioners of the St. Augustine Cathedral Parish and St. Charles Borromeo Parish. To learn more contact: www.HartfordHealthCare.org/vaccine)
