NE OKC Church Working To Get COVID-19 Vaccine To African American Community

A Northeast Oklahoma City church is hosting a community COVID-19 vaccination clinic Tuesday to make sure the African American community is protected from the virus.

The Pastor for Ebenezer Baptist Church, near Northeast 36th Street and North Kelley Avenue, said there's hesitancy when it comes to the African American community and the vaccine. He and his church are on a mission to make sure everyone can get it.

Pastor Derrick Scobey said the reluctancy within his community comes from horror stories from our nation's past, like the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment.

At the church's pod Tuesday they have over 1,100 slots that have already filled up.

Pastor Scobey thinks a majority of the people showing up at the event will be African American, which is their goal.

"You mark my word there will be a minimum of 75 to 80 percent African American people that will be here receiving the vaccination," said Pastor Scobey.

As of Monday, the Oklahoma State Department of Health says over 500,000 Oklahomans have registered through their portal. The state is part-way through phase two and has already given over 300,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine statewide.

Ebenezer Baptist Church is working to bring another pod to the church in the near future.