WLKY Digital Team
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and several community organizations gathered on Saturday to mark the 20th vaccine clinic held at the Americana World Community Center.
The center has been key to administering vaccines and crucial information related to the pandemic to the city’s immigrant and non-English speaking populations.
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It has been nearly two years since the first positive COVID-19 case was confirmed in Louisville.
“I think it’s fair to say it’s one of the biggest challenges that we’ve faced together as a city in a very long time,” Fisher said at the event.
Last year the arrival of the vaccine brought a crucial tool to combatting the virus, and the Americana World Community Center played a critical role in administering it.
“When vaccine supply ramped up last spring,” Fischer said. “Americana was the first community site that opened, and today amazingly marks the 20th trip to Americana to administer COVID-19 vaccines since April of last year — 20 times.”
The site has administered 2,700 doses of the vaccine to more than 1,500 people, many of the members of the city’s immigrant population.
With the help of the office of globalization, interpreters have been on hand each time providing critical information on the vaccine in seven different languages.
“By providing interpreters, the family health centers has broken down communication barriers” Fischer said. “People can get the life-saving information they need in their native language that they trust.”
“They really counted on us to really be their source of information,” said Kevin Uyisenga, executive director of See Forward Ministries.
See Forward Ministries was one of the many partnering organizations that helped make the clinics possible.
“When you are hearing the information in your own language, and you have a translator by your side that gives you another level of comfort that you need which leads into believing in what’s happening,” Uyisenga said.
The mayor also thanked the Kentucky Nurse’s Association for helping to staff the many Louisville vaccination sites across the city.
“I’d like to say thank you to the volunteers who kept showing up, the ones who came back time and time again after work, on Saturdays and on Sundays,” said Delanor Manson, CEO of Kentucky Nurse’s Association.
The mayor also recognized the efforts of the many community organizations and city departments that helped make these Louisville vaccination sites possible including. in addition to the Kentucky Nurse’s Association and See Forward Ministries, the Family Health Centers and the Office of Globalization.