MVP Health Care, Schenectady County, and CDTA today announced a partnership to bring COVID-19 vaccines to neighborhoods in Schenectady County with lower than County average vaccination rates. The one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be available at predetermined locations throughout the County beginning on Thursday, May 20, 2021. The CDTA trolley will stop at locations that include food pantries, faith-based organizations, libraries, and municipal housing sites over a two-month time-period.
“As a community, we have made great strides towards ending the pandemic, but we still have more work to do,” said Christopher Del Vecchio, MVP Health Care’s President and CEO. “Bringing the vaccine to underserved communities and meeting people where they are, is more important than ever. We need to work together to overcome vaccine accessibility barriers and we are proud to partner with SCPHS and CDTA to do so.”
While Schenectady County is one of the top counties in New York State for adult vaccination, specific zip codes are showing lower than average vaccination levels. To incentivize the community to do their part to end the pandemic, every community member who gets a vaccine during these PODs, will receive a voucher for a free scoop of ice cream from Stewart’s Shops while supplies last and will be entered to win a $500 Visa gift card from MVP Health Care.
“Making vaccines accessible to the community is crucial at this point in the pandemic,” said Schenectady County Legislator Sara Mae Pratt. “We know from the County’s experience at community sites and faith communities that people are much more likely to get vaccinated if it is available in locations they are familiar and comfortable with. Schenectady County would like to thank MVP Health Care, CDTA and Stewart’s Shops for helping us bring vaccines to more locations and residents throughout the County – especially to the areas where vaccination rates are the lowest.”
“Connecting our communities to what matters in their life is at the core of what we do,” said CDTA CEO, Carm Basile. “Making sure our region has access to getting vaccinated is everyone’s responsibility. We are happy to partner with Schenectady County and MVP on this initiative. Together, we will end this pandemic.”
Dates and locations of the first five PODs are as follows:
| Date | Location | Address | Time |
| 5/20/21 | Bornt Library Parking Lot | 948 State Street, Schenectady, NY | 12:00-3:00pm |
| 5/20/21 | SICM Food Pantry | 837-839 Albany Street, Schenectady, NY | 3:00-7:00pm |
| 5/23/21 | Yates Village (By Project Office/Maintenance Garage) | 2450 Van Vranken Ave, Schenectady, NY | 12:00-4:00pm |
| 5/25/21 | Steinmetz Apartments (At Family Investment Center) | 118 Henry Street, Schenectady, NY | 3:00-7:00pm |
| 5/27/21 | Islamic Center of Schenectady (Parking Lot) | 89 N. Brandywine Ave., Schenectady, NY | 3:00-7:00pm |
To find additional dates and times of when and where the CDTA trolley, MVP Health Care, and SCPHP will be with the vaccines visit Schenectady County’s Website. Staff from Schenectady County Public Health Services will also conduct street-level outreach to business and other neighborhood hubs to make the community aware of the times and locations of these pop-up vaccination clinics.
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About MVP Health Care
MVP Health Care is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit health insurer caring for members in New York and Vermont. Committed to the complete well-being of our members and the communities we serve, MVP makes health insurance more convenient, more supportive, and more personal. For more information visit www.mvphealthcare.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.