Dauphin County Launches Initiative to Vaccinate Underserved Population Through Mobile Clinics

GH Mobile Vax SMALL

Dauphin County is partnering with Latino Connection, Penn State Health, Highmark Blue Shield, and the Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness to offer mobile vaccination clinics in coming weeks.

Latino Connection’s mobile unit – “Little CATE” (Community-Accessible Testing &Education) – will be the command center for the vaccination efforts with medical professionals on-hand to provide tours inside the mobile unit and education about the vaccine.

The collaborating partners have identified several target areas in Dauphin County with populations of persons experiencing homeless for the month-long initiative, with at least 10 clinics planned through June 24.

“This mobile clinic is another prong of Dauphin County’s collaboration with community partners and providers – efforts that will ultimately move us beyond this unprecedented pandemic,” Dauphin County Commissioner George P. Hartwick III said.

“Reaching Pennsylvania’s most underserved and vulnerable populations must remain our greatest health initiative right now,” George Fernandez, founder of Latino Connection, said. “CATE’s stop in Dauphin County is just one of the hundreds of events like this that will take place across the Commonwealth in the coming months thanks to our dedicated community partners.”

Services are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre-registration is not required, but preferred, and can be completed on CATE’s website at www.CATEmobileunit.com.

Moderna doses will be offered.

 “No person is more important than the next; everyone is a priority when it comes to resources and options for vaccination,” Dauphin County Commissioner Chair Jeff Haste said.

“Our mission has been to make the vaccine available to everyone in Dauphin County, and that includes those who are not able to commute to provider locations,” Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries said.

A full list of additional dates for the mobile clinic in the county will be updated on the Dauphin County website (www.dauphincounty.org) throughout the summer months.

Here are some upcoming stops:

- June 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Northern Dauphin Human Services building, 295 State Drive, Elizabethville

- June 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Bethesda Mission, 611 Reily Street, Harrisburg

- June 10, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.: (in conjunction with the Homeless Street Outreach team) near PennDOT/Shipoke at 915 South Front Street, Harrisburg

“We value the partnership with Dauphin County, Latino Connection and Penn State Health and want to thank all the partners for their collective leadership as we work to help the homeless population get vaccinated,” said Kathleen McKenzie, vice president of Community Affairs for Highmark Blue Shield. “Everyone is important as we try and get as many people as possible vaccinated. We will be making numerous stops in the coming months throughout the county, use our collective networks and contacts within this group to reach as many people as we can, that ultimately will help protect the entire community.”

For more information on CATE and the mobile vaccination efforts, visit www.CATEmobileunit.com

MEDIA CONTACT: Brett Hambright, Dauphin County Press Secretary, 717-780-6311; bhambright@dauphinc.org.