The healthcare providers at People’s Center Clinics & Services want you to stay safe by getting vaccinated for COVID-19.
Luckily, we have testing, vaccines, and treatments to help us prevent and heal from the illness. The best way to stay healthy and safe is to get your vaccine and boosters as they become available. While reporting from the Minnesota Department of Health indicates 70% of Minnesotans have had at least one dose of the vaccine, only 43% are up to date with vaccine doses. 40% of kids under 18 have at least one dose but still need to get their second dose and booster. We still have a long way to go!
The Cedar Riverside community where the medical clinic is located serves a population that has been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. “The pandemic has put our community at greater risk than they have ever experienced in their history. Our patients have multiple co-morbidities and without interventions by People’s Center to innovate and develop infrastructure to address those, they would be facing potential loss of life should they be infected with the virus,” shared Ann Rogers, People’s Center CEO. People’s Center has adjusted to the crisis and been responsive to the community’s needs regardless of their ability to pay for services.
Even if someone has had COVID-19 they should still get vaccinated. Evidence continues to indicate that getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the best protection against getting COVID-19, whether or not they have already had it. Studies indicate that if you had COVID-19 before and are not vaccinated, your risk of getting reinfected is more than two times higher than for those who were infected and got vaccinated.
While evidence suggests there is some level of immunity for those who previously had COVID, it is not known how long you are protected from getting it again. Plus, the level of immunity provided by the vaccines after having COVID-19 is higher than the level of immunity for those who had COVID, but were not subsequently vaccinated. Every Minnesotan 5 and older should be vaccinated.
Dr. Sarah Maier, Chief Health Officer at People’s Center stated, “Just like getting a flu shot every year, getting available boosters for COVID-19 is important. We are still learning about how long the protection is following each shot, so it is important to follow recommendations from your healthcare provider and from the CDC. New boosters could offer protection for new variants.”
For more than 50 years People’s Center Clinics & Services has been a trusted resource providing much needed healthcare in the Cedar Riverside community. “We were established in 1970 as a free clinic, run by students and volunteers; and have evolved into a health care system with two locations serving many neighborhoods in South Minneapolis and beyond,” said Ms. Rogers. “We have a really unique history of responding to the needs of the community as it has changed over the decades.”
Responding to the healthcare needs in the community has been our way for decades and the response to the pandemic is just one of the most recent ways we have done so. People’s Center is here to help you with your COVID-19 care as well as your other primary care needs in our newly renovated building. Call the People’s Center at 612-355-5556 or schedule an appointment online at our clinic.
