The city of Jackson's Vaccination Day is scheduled on Saturday, March 6 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Jackson Convention Complex in downtown Jackson.
Together with a host of local health partners, the city has arranged to administer 2,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Jackson residents during the one-day event.
The effort specifically aims to reach seniors and other vulnerable residents. It is a direct response to concerns about limited access to vaccines within the city of Jackson, the state’s most populous municipality with an almost 85 percent Black population.
Jackson residents must call to register in advance and meet state eligibility requirements in order to receive their first vaccination dose. State guidelines include teachers and public safety personnel, adults 65 and older and individuals with certain chronic health conditions as eligible for vaccination. All participants receiving a first dose at the event will be eligible and registered to receive a second dose on March 27 before leaving the event.
To learn more, reserve a spot for oneself or a loved one, Jackson residents must call one of three hotlines. Volunteers will assist with registration and confirmation of eligibility. Reservations are first-come, first-served and are expected to run out quickly.
Phone lines will be open Monday, March 1 until 7 p.m. and March 2-5 from 9 a.m.until 7 p.m. each day or until all appointments are filled.
Here are the numbers to call to make a reservation:
- Hotline 1: 601.446.3778
- Hotline 2: 601.446.3566
- Hotline 3: 601.906.6648
Masks will be required by all in attendance and social distancing guidelines will be observed at Vaccination Day. Only individuals egistered will be permitted to enter the event. Curbside accommodations will be provided for individuals with mobility issues.
“The best chance we have at beating COVID-19 and returning to some semblance of normalcy is to make sure that we all get vaccinated,” said Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba. “This should start with our most vulnerable populations. However, in Jackson, so many of our residents, especially our elders, have limited access to technology and are neither able to register for a vaccine online, nor able to travel outside our city limits to get one. Further, many community resources that would normally help to bridge these gaps are closed or limited in capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“We recognize that 2,000 doses merely scratch the surface of what needs to be accomplished, but it is a start and we are working to make even more doses available in Jackson. We are thankful to the COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Dobbs, Dr. Quinn, Dr. Phillips, Dr. Reeves, Hinds Community College and so many more for working with us to make this day possible. And, we look forward to continued partnership to ensure every Jacksonian has access to a vaccine.”
Among the many local partners and health providers responsible for helping the city to coordinate, staff and administer 2,000 vaccines during Jackson’s first Vaccination Day are: the Mayor’s COVID-19 Task Force, the Mississippi State Department of Health, Hinds Community College, the Mississippi Medical and Surgical Association, Merit Health, Visit Jackson, Jackson Public Schools, Dr. Errick Greene, the City of Jackson Employee Clinic, Turner Health Care, Jackson State University College of Health Sciences, Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Jackson Hinds Comprehensive Health Center, Quinn Healthcare, Dr. Vonda Reeves, Dr. Hursie Davis Sullivan, Overtime Sports, Bilal Qizilbash, Jackson Fire Department, Jackson Police Department, the Department of Human and Cultural Services, the Department of Parks and Recreation and Amerigroup. The Oak View Group team at the Jackson Convention Center Complex is assisting with insights from vaccine distributions at their other southern U.S. properties.
Call for Volunteers for Vaccination Day
The city needs volunteers to help with Vaccination Day event logistics from registration to guides to runners and more. Interested individuals must be available from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on March 6 to help run the event, as well as for an in-person training on March 5, beginning at 3 pm. To volunteer, email: volunteer@jackson.gov or call 601-960-2324.
