North Carolina COVID-19 Response

Mural: Chapel Hill St., Durham, Artist Cecilia Lueza

Vaccine Equity

In early spring of 2021, Vaccine Ambassadors began working with community organizations in North Carolina committed to increasing access and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among historically marginalized populations.* While the COVID-19 vaccine was free, there were still many barriers that limited access to services and prevented people from receiving protection. Many people faced hardships in obtaining vaccines through existing vaccine distribution sites. Bringing vaccination services into the community through mobile partnerships was essential in order to ensure that those most vulnerable had easy access.

To date, we have facilitated, co-hosted, or participated in over 50 COVID-19 mobile vaccination events in Durham, Orange, Chatham, Moore, and Duplin Counties and distributed over 50,000 free at-home COVID-19 test kits. Partnering with faith-based communities and prioritizing underserved areas that had been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic was key.

Working with many organizations that had boots on the ground since day one was a rewarding and humbling experience. The pandemic has demonstrated how our health intrinsically linked to the health of our communities. We remain committed to vaccine equity at home and abroad.

How We Partnered in the Community

  • Acted as a liaison between those interested in hosting mobile vaccination clinics and vaccine providers, onsite testing, and community outreach services
  • Developed interventions and tools to help optimize completion of the COVID-19 series to close the gap between first, second and subsequent doses
  • Provided financial support ($10-20 grocery cards) to offset costs (transportation, childcare, missed wages) and decrease barriers to vaccine access
  • Maintained an easy-to-use calendar of local COVID-19 vaccine events
Submit Your Upcoming Vaccine Event

NC Resources

Note: If you have multiple dates, please add in Event Description below.

*Historically Marginalized Populations are defined as individuals, groups and communities that have historically and systematically been denied access to services, resources and power relationships across economic, political and cultural dimensions as a result of systemic, durable and persistent racism, discrimination and other forms of oppression.