NJ leaders seek ways to bridge the vaccine disparity gap
CAMDEN, N.J. - While more shots are going into arms, a vaccine disparity gap persists across the Delaware Valley, between the inner cities and suburbs.
In Cinnaminson, even the colorful Eagle perched outside the library wears a mask.
The upscale South Jersey community of 16,000 is all-in on the COVID fight, with nearly 50 percent of its population vaccinated – a number that jumps to almost 80 percent for those 65-years and up.
An easy call, for one resident.
"I’d rather have a side effect to a vaccine that you can get over than get COVID and pass away," Kathy remarked.
Residents credit the higher vaccination rate to a strong effort by community leaders to get out the word, and the nearby New Jersey mega-vaccination site in Moorestown.
It’s where Marilyn Morgan had her shot.
"We like the activities that go on in town. In order to take part, you have to be vaccinated," Morgan said.
In Camden, it’s a different story.
"It’s been a long, tough year," Camden Mayor, Vic Carstarphen, admitted.
The struggling city’s newly sworn-in mayor joined county workers who mounted a pop-up vaccination site at Von Neida Park, in the Cramer Hill neighborhood.
"Why the hesitancy in Camden, do you think," asked FOX 29’s Jeff Cole.
"It’s a close community and we have to get within the community and we have to continue our messaging about how important it is," Mayor Carstarphen replied.
According to the county, 38 percent of the population has just one shot in a city where COVID has taken 166 lives and 10,000 have been infected.
The governor says it’ll take shoe leather.
"Today, we kicked off an $8 million campaign effort to put even more boots on the ground in communities where we need people to go out and get vaccinated," Gov. Murphy stated.
Two dozen city residents got a shot in two pop-ups Wednesday.
In the park, a resident of Paraguay couldn’t believe her luck.
"For someone in her age group, they wouldn’t get vaccinated until September or October," Maria DeLos Milagros said.
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