ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Community leaders from north St. Louis County will help increase COVID-19 vaccine registration and work with the county's department of public health to ensure all residents are up-to-date on the latest COVID-19 information.
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page tapped nearly 20 community leaders to create the group.
“We must engage communities that are underrepresented to ensure everyone has access to the vaccine,” said Dr. Page. “And that is our commitment.”
According to a release from Page's office, a breakdown by ZIP code of those pre-registered shows low participation in several areas of north St. Louis County. Pre-registration is as low as 3% in some north county communities and as high as 39% in the central part of the county.
“The pre-registration trends are consistent with pre-existing racial and socioeconomic disparities,” said Dr. Page. “With our pandemic response, we are working aggressively to reverse these trends.”
The outreach group will work closely with Damon Broadus, the director of Health Promotion and Public Health Research, and with Rochelle Walton Gray, COVID-19 Vaccine Community Outreach Coordinator.
Broadus served as regional community impact director before joining the Health Department. Walton Gray is a former County Councilwoman and state representative and long-time resident of north St. Louis County.
“With this response, it’s all hands on deck,” said County Executive Page. “This group of community leaders will help us reach our most vulnerable and the historically underserved.”
The members of the North County Outreach Group are:
• Bishop Lawrence Wooten Sr., Williams Temple Church of Christ, will serve as chair.
• Cordell Whitlock, Community Action Agency of St. Louis County
• John Bowman, St. Louis County NAACP
• Mike McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
• Lisa D’Souza, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
• Reggie Jones, Mayor of Dellwood
• Ella Jones, Mayor of Ferguson
• Chris Krehmeyer, Beyond Housing
• Bishop Elijah Hankerson, St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition
• Erica Williams, A Red Circle
• Rebecca Zoll, North County Incorporated
• Geoffrey Soyiantet, Vitendo 4 Africa
• Dr. Monique Williams, Mound City Medical Forum
• Kendra Copanas, Generate Health STL
• Monsignor Mark C. Ullrich, Archdiocese of St. Louis North County Deanery
• Dr. Rance Thomas, North County Churches Uniting for Racial Harmony and Justice
• Angela Pinex, Spanish Lake Community Development Corporation
• Alex Fennoy, Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce
• Yolanda Lockhart, National Pan-hellenic Council - St. Louis