CrossOver continues to hold vaccine clinics for eligible patients at both of our clinic locations. We administered vaccines at our Richmond Clinic for the first time last Saturday, and by the end of March, we will have administered more than 1,000 doses between our two locations! We are particularly grateful for the support of the VCU Vaccine Corps, whose members have helped to staff our clinics during vaccination events.
“Patients who receive the vaccine are super happy,” says Poliana Costa, Henrico Clinic manager. “They always say thank you, God bless you. Some patients ask to make donations, even though we make sure they know they don’t have to pay for it. They are ecstatic to have it.”
Meanwhile, other CrossOver patients are declining the vaccine when offered. This is not uncommon; across racial and ethnic groups, significant percentages of people do not plan to get vaccinated. But vaccination should be seen as a privilege, in Poliana’s view. “I am extremely passionate about the vaccine because of my conversations with my friends back in Brazil,” she says. Poliana came to the U.S. from Brazil six years ago. In many other parts of the world, she says, the conversation is much different. “Here, we are talking about whether to get vaccinated. In other places, they are talking about how they can get it, because it is not available to them yet.”
CrossOver is in a unique and important position, Poliana notes, because our patients already trust us. While they might not find it easy to navigate vaccine sign-ups elsewhere, they know CrossOver and trust our providers. As more patients become vaccinated, Poliana dreams of offering vaccines to more of the community. “This is exciting news,” she says. “We now have a way to keep our loved ones safe. This is one big step to get back to how things were before.”
See below for photos of patients getting vaccinated at our clinics.
Left: A 103-year-old patient receives her COVID-19 vaccine from Dr. Mac DeHart-McCoyle
Center: Clinical coordinator Maria Pratts gives a vaccine to patient Bruce, who has become a local vaccine advocate
Right: Alan displays his polio vaccination card, received when he was a child, alongside his COVID-19 vaccination card
Attention CrossOver Volunteers: Are you a CrossOver volunteer who has hit pause on volunteering because of the pandemic? We miss you! If you’re considering returning to the clinic to volunteer, reach out to Rachel Yowell, volunteer manager, at ryowell@crossoverministry.org to discuss your plans to return. We look forward to welcoming you back!