Millions in federal funding coming to help expand COVID-19 vaccine access in highest-risk communities

ORLANDO, Fla. — Roughly $73.5 million is coming to help to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines and build confidence in Central Florida’s highest-risk communities.

It’s money local health officials say will have an immediate impact.

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“I think we’re truly in a good place to be aggressive and do our part and ensure everyone has access to vaccines,” said Bakari Burns, CEO of Health Care Center for the Homeless and an Orlando city commissioner.

The money for Central Florida Health Centers comes from a $10 billion pot created by President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act.

Nine separate local health centers are receiving the federal funds, with Community Health Centers in Winter Garden taking in the highest at $14.1 million.

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True Health in Sanford will get $11.3 million.

“We were ecstatic,” True Health CEO Janelle Dunn said. “We were so elated.”

The federal investment ensures expanded access to the COVID-19 shot and pushes health centers to build vaccine confidence in the hardest-hit and highest-risk parts of the community.

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“We will have the opportunity to request vaccinations on a weekly basis. So yeah, so we’re expecting that we’ll have a constant flow of vaccines,” Burns said.

All community health centers in good standing were eligible for the money, and the allocation was based on the number of uninsured people they serve.

“About 73% of the patients that we care for, whether it be our homeless or uninsured or underinsured patients, about 73% of those are actually uninsured,” Burns said.

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More than half the people served through True Health are uninsured.

“We intend to continue our outreach into hard to reach areas where there are significant socioeconomic barriers as it pertains to transportation and finances,” Dunn said.

In addition to hiring more staff for vaccination efforts, the health centers say there will be a marketing component to build vaccine trust, which will likely include some town hall meetings.