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Up To Date

Our Healthy KC Eastside To Focus On Vaccine Outreach And Distribution

By Steve Kraske,
Zach Wilson
Published May 20, 2021 at 9:16 PM CDT
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A white health worker masked and wearing a white medical coat is seated at a folding table administering a vaccination to a masked man of color also seated at the table wearing a Chiefs ball cap with his right arm out of his jacket.
Carlos Moreno
/
KCUR
The new federally funded initiative from Jackson County called "Our Healthy KC Eastside" aims to meet people where they are at in order to bridge the divide in vaccination inequity.

As the CDC adjusts its mask guidelines and restrictions around Kansas City are loosened, vaccination rates among residents of several city neighborhoods are incredibly low.

Some are as low as 15%, and Black and brown communities are disproportionately impacted. To address the issue, Jackson County's legislature has dedicated $5 million of CARES Act funds towards getting vaccines distributed in six Kansas city zip codes through the Our Healthy KC Eastside program.

Tags
Up To Date PodcastRacial EquityvaccinesCDCJackson CountyKansas City Missouri (KCMO)Coronavirusneighborhoods
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Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
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Zach Wilson
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
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