Congressman Cleaver Hosts Conversation with Dr. Eliseo Pérez-Stable, Dr. Marvia Jones to Promote Vaccinations, Address COVID-19's Impact on Latin American Community

Press Release

Last week, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) joined Dr. Eliseo Pérez-Stable, Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Dr. Marvia Jones, Division Manager for Community and Family Health Education at the Kansas City Health Department, and Steve Downing, General Manager for Telemundo Kansas City to promote the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and discuss how the coronavirus has disproportionately impacted the Latin American community in Kansas City and across the country. Those interested in watching Telemundo's special coverage of the discussion can do so today, May 12th, at 6:00 p.m. CDT on Telemundo and Congressman Cleaver's Facebook page.

"It was a pleasure to join Dr. Pérez-Stable and Dr. Jones to identify ways in which we can collectively address vaccination disparities in communities of color," said Congressman Cleaver. "Over the past few months, frontline health care workers have administered 262 million vaccines, and 116 million Americans are now fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, despite being twice as likely to die from COVID-19, Black and Brown communities continue to get vaccinated at disproportionately low rates. This troubling trend must be quickly addressed, and I have called on state officials to do their part by removing technological and language barriers that have hindered vaccination initiatives in these communities. Our continued progress in the fight against COVID-19 is dependent on providing equitable vaccine access to communities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic."

"It has been gratifying to collaborate with local and national leaders who are also concerned about the vast disparities that exist in the Hispanic community regarding health care compared to any other racial group," said Steve Downing. "We are hopeful that events and conversations like this will create greater awareness, which can lead to more local leaders and organizations joining the effort to bridge this gap."

"The Kansas City Health Department appreciates every opportunity to speak with our valued residents about access to the Covid-19 vaccine, which is one of our best tools in the effort to end the pandemic," said Dr. Marvia Jones.

Those seeking to locate a vaccination site near them can visit vaccines.gov for assistance in English or vacunas.gov for assistance in Spanish. Individuals can also locate nearby vaccines by texting their ZIP code to 438829 (GETVAX) for English or 822862 (VACUNA) for Spanish. On Saturday, May 15, the Mattie Rhodes Center will be hosting a vaccination clinic from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CDT at their Northeast location located at 148 North Topping Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64123. Identification will not be required to receive a shot, and individuals will be given the choice between receiving a Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. All vaccines will be free of charge, and interested individuals must sign up here.

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