By Ravi Brock
Arkansascovid.com
Little Rock will hold a COVID-19 mass vaccination event on Saturday at the Simmons Arena, the first of four events in the coming weeks.
UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, in a press release, said the events show they are “working together with the state’s cities, counties, insurers and nonprofit organizations, we try to ensure that none of Arkansas’ 3 million residents will fall through the cracks. All of us want to maximize access to vaccines in as many ways as we can.”
For State Senator Linda Chesterfield, the vaccination effort has deep significance. “I’ve had a family member who died from COVID-19, so it is very personal for me,” Chesterfield said in a statement. “It is important that every Arkansan get vaccinated, and we can do that with vaccination efforts like this one.”
The clinics are expected to vaccinate up to 2,000 people and will be held April 10, May 1, May 22, and June 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde said in a statement that fewer than 30% of Pulaski County’s population has received at least one dose, and about 12% are fully vaccinated. Hyde urged anyone eligible for a vaccine, currently people age 16 and older, “to receive a vaccine at the first opportunity.”
Face masks are required for the event. There are no out-of-pocket cost for the vaccine. Clinic attendees are encouraged to bring insurance cards and valid IDs.