On Feb. 27th, Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield and their community partners organized a COVID-19 Vaccination Event at Arkansas Blue Cross North Little Rock Campus. This event was just one segment of the ‘Vaccinate the Natural State’ initiative, sponsored and led by Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, whose mission is to educate, engage and encourage locals to get their COVID-19 vaccine.
During the Feb. 27th event, almost 50 volunteers from the various community partners worked the drive-through clinic. They surpassed their goal by vaccinating almost 550 people. The event for the second dose was held Mar. 20th.
“It was truly a community effort,” said Dr. Creshelle Nash, M.D., Medical Director of Public Programs for Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield. Dr. Nash went on to say that “Arkansas Blue Cross has been involved in more than 35 COVID-19 vaccination events since the first vaccine arrived in Arkansas just a few months ago.” There are 33 future events scheduled, joining the hundreds of events throughout Arkansas that are listed on the Arkansas Department of Health’s website.
“There is a lot of misinformation that we hope to correct through ‘Vaccinate the Natural State,'” said Dr. Nash. “The health of our communities relies on every eligible Arkansan getting the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available to them. Vaccinations offer our best path for eliminating the virus, ending the suffering, and starting the process of returning our lives back to some sense of normal. The organizations that have come together to fuel this movement represent best-of-class knowledge coupled with connected networks that can ensure the word gets out that Vaccinate the Natural State can be life-changing for all of us.”
Regarding vaccines at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Sharon Ann Downs, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and W. Cody Decker, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Chief Data Officer, have released a statement as of Mar. 25th about the ways that students can receive the vaccine, including an on-campus vaccination clinic and an off-campus vaccination option. According to the release, “Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has opened COVID-19 vaccination phase 1-C,” which includes students “who reside in campus housing” and students “who have a condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.” Cornerstone Pharmacy, who is a partner of Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, will be administrating the vaccine to residential students at UA Little Rock on Apr. 5th at DSC Ledbetter Rooms.
Students may sign up for the vaccination and future vaccinations through a portal from the release. As Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, their community partners and UA Little Rock work together to provide and administer vaccines to Arkansans, you too can do your part by educating, engaging and encouraging one another to join the fight against COVID-19.
