ORLANDO, Fla. – A mobile vaccination site offered hundreds of COVID-19 shots to members of the Asian Pacific Islander community on Saturday.
Cars filed in one by one along the bus loop at Michael McCoy Elementary School in Orlando. People rolled down their windows and rolled up their sleeves to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Chitra Bakshi said she brought her 76-year-old mother with her to get the shot. She said the pandemic has taken a toll on their family.
“Through 2002 has been scared and isolated in the house and that’s why she has been not able to go anywhere other than the neighborhood, but only in the front yard . She goes and comes back. She doesn’t go anywhere,” Bakshi said.
Bakshi said that’s changing now after they got their shots at the mobile vaccination site.
State Rep. Daisy Morales partnered with the Central Florida chapter of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association to provide 700 single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines to the community.
“It’s very important that we include every community, regardless of their race or nationality. This is a day to bring awareness that every American has the right to be vaccinated, including our underserved communities, our minorities,” Morales said.
Andrew Jeng, the president of the Central Florida chapter of APAPA, said many Asian families feel more comfortable getting the vaccine where they live with people they trust.
He adds vaccinating the Asian community has been a challenge because of language barriers, so they are educating families about the shot.
“Tell the people this is a good result right now to a solution to fighting the virus and to help the community get together back to normal,” Jeng said.
The families said they’re grateful for the shots of hope.
Bakshi adds it is going to come down to everyone doing their part to bring an end to the pandemic.
“We have to be a team whether we are white, black, or Asian. It’s just human being inside having the same blood color,” Bakshi said. “Don’t see outside, see the human inside us and let’s support and lift each other.”