EAST ORANGE, NJ — The city of East Orange, under the leadership of Mayor Ted Green, the East Orange City Council, the Department of Health and Human Services, and in conjunction with Essex County, launched its mobile health clinic on Wednesday March 10, at the Pavilion Senior Apartments.
For its initial rollout, the mobile clinic will focus on administering the COVID-19 vaccine to seniors and disabled residents in senior buildings and private residences. The mobile health clinic, a 36-foot refurbished truck, was procured late last year in anticipation of the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine, said Monique Griffith, director of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Due to historical experiences, we knew that misinformation and a general distrust of vaccines would be challenges in our community,” Griffith said. “Bringing this vaccine and our clinical team right to the homes of some of our most at-risk residents will be a key weapon in our fight to stop the spread of the coronavirus in East Orange.”
As of March 15, East Orange has confirmed 5,664 positive cases and 276 confirmed deaths, the second highest in Essex County, behind only Newark.
Griffith said limited access to care has also been identified as a major factor that contributes to health disparities. To assist with this, last month, Essex County designated two vaccination sites in Newark for East Orange residents, but Griffith said many residents — especially seniors who have remained in or close to home since the beginning of the pandemic — are either reluctant to leave the city or require transportation.
“In partnership with the county, we will continue to provide transportation to the Newark sites for residents while also meeting our most vulnerable where they feel most comfortable — at home,” Griffith said.
Green lauded the efforts of Griffith, public health officer Victor Kuteyi and the entire health department for leading the city through this public health crisis.
“For nearly a year, we have been lockstep with our health team in managing this pandemic. We know our community well and this mobile health clinic is an extension of all of our efforts to ensure that access to quality health care, and in this case, the COVID-19 vaccination, is never an issue in East Orange,” Green said.
The health department is also finalizing plans to set up a temporary bricks-and-mortar facility at East Orange Campus High School to administer the vaccination to all residents once it becomes available for everyone. Both the mobile clinic and the local facility will be staffed by a team of health clinicians and medical corps volunteers.
Vaccinations will be administered free of charge, but those with Medicaid or individual health insurance should bring ID cards to their appointments, as administrative fees will be billed to insurance only. For more information, call the Department of Health and Human Services at 973-266-5480. If anyone is interested in volunteering, call the Office of Emergency Management deputy coordinator at 973-677-8924.
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