A former Saints player has a message for the MS Coast: Get vaccinated against COVID-19
A former New Orleans Saints player is bringing a message to the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Get a free COVID-19 vaccine to help end the pandemic.
On Friday, former running back Deuce McAllister will meet with elected officials and community members as part of a campaign to inform people about the COVID-19 vaccine, with a particular focus on communities of color.
His tour is part of a partnership between the Magnolia Health Plan, Centene Corporation and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
McAllister was born in Mississippi and was a star player at Ole Miss before he joined the Saints from 2001-09.
McAllister’s visit comes as Mississippi languishes at the bottom of yet another list: the percentage of residents in each state who have been fully vaccinated.
According to the state’s June 9 vaccination update, 29% of Mississippians have been fully vaccinated with either two shots of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
According to the CDC, 42.3% of all Americans have been fully vaccinated.
In Mississippi, racial disparities marred the early vaccine rollout. By mid-February, Black residents on the Coast had gotten an even more disproportionately small share of the vaccine doses than Black Mississippians overall.
But thanks to Black faith leaders, doctors, elected officials and community health workers who spearheaded vaccination events and shared information with community members, the gap has nearly closed: As of June 9, 36% of all vaccines had gone to Black Mississippians, nearly in line with the share of the population that is Black.
National surveys have found greater vaccine hesitancy among Republican voters than among Democratic voters. But in reliably Republican Mississippi, a survey backed by the National Institutes of Health and the state health department and conducted from December 2020 through March 2021 found an opposite, though small, partisan split: 74.4% of Republican leaning voters said they intended to get the vaccine, compared to 70% of Democratic leaning voters.
The survey also found that many parents in Mississippi are wary of vaccinating their children. Only a little more than 52% of all parents said they’d get their children vaccinated, and only 42.5% of Black parents said the same. The survey did not ask parents why they responded as they did, and it was completed before the Pfizer vaccine was approved for use among children over age 12.
The COVID-19 vaccine is free for all.
On Saturday, June 16, Memorial Hospital will distribute Pfizer vaccines at the Katie Patterson Booth Community Center from 9 a.m to 2 p.m. Appointments are requested but walk-ins are welcome.
Here’s more information about each event.
Deuce McAllister’s Coast Tour
Here’s McAllister’s itinerary for Friday, June 11.
8 a.m. – Breakfast with the Mayor, Salvation Army Kroc Center, 575 Division Street, Biloxi, MS 39530
Meeting with Mayor Fofo Gillich, Councilman Felix Gines, and other community leaders.
10 a.m. – Magnolia Health Drive-Thru Baby Shower, Grace Temple Baptist Church, 13344 Old Hwy 49, Gulfport, MS 39503
Deuce will speak with pregnant moms and families as well as tour the vaccination site. State Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes will be invited to greet families and to emphasize the importance of vaccinations in African American communities.
11:30 a.m. – Gulfport Summer Camp, Gaston Point Community Center, 1505 Mills Ave., Gulfport, MS 39501
Deuce will meet with the camp director, parents and children to talk about the COVID-19 vaccination and how important it is to protect families against the spread of the virus. County Supervisor Kent Jones and Councilman Kenneth Casey will also be in attendance.
12:30 p.m. – Lunch at Mary Mahoney’s, 110 Rue Magnolia, Biloxi, MS 39530
McAllister will meet with city officials and community leadership.
2:30 p.m. – Visit With Workers, Golden Nugget Casino & Resort, 151 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, MS
Deuce will greet casino employees and leaderships to thank them for their vaccination efforts in encouraging a safe workplace through COVID-19 vaccinations. Former pro football player Stevon Moore will also be in attendance.
Community vaccinations on June 16
Memorial Hospital will be distributing Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations on Wednesday, June 16, at the Katie Patterson Booth Community Center.
Where: 501 26th St., Gulfport
When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Who: People aged 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. People 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.
How to schedule an appointment: call the COVID-19 Hotline at 228-867-5000 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
From the press release:
“The vaccination event is hosted in partnership with the City of Gulfport Leisure Services; Sonya Williams Barnes, District 119; Supervisor Kent Jones, District 4; Magnolia Grove Concerned Citizens Civic Club, Otis Smith President and Glen Johnson, VP; Magnolia Grove Kids of Distinction; Gulfport Civitan Club, Gail Hockenhull, President; Gary Fredericks, Memorial Board of Trustees; and Councilwoman Ella Holmes-Hines, Ward 3. Appointments are preferred, and walk-ups are welcome.”
For more information about eligibility, visit the Mississippi State Department of Health.
This story was originally published June 10, 2021 at 5:50 AM.
