New DeKalb vaccine event will target Latinos; $100 gift cards offered

The DeKalb County Board of Health is hosting a vaccination event this weekend that it hopes will encourage more Hispanic and Latino residents to protect themselves against COVID-19.

The first 500 people to get a shot during Saturday’s event — which will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Doraville MARTA station — will receive a $100 prepaid debit card.

“Only 44% of Hispanic residents in DeKalb County have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine,” Dr. Sandra Valenciano, the county’s district health director, said in a news release. “Ensuring that we provide vaccine access to our community not only creates individual protection against COVID-19, but also safeguards family, friends, and those not yet eligible to receive the vaccine.”

Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pizer vaccines will all be offered at no cost. No proof of citizenship is required to receive a shot, officials said.

Saturday’s event is being held in partnership with the city of Doraville, DeKalb County commissioners Robert Partrick and Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, the Latin American Association and the Latino Community Fund.

The $100 prepaid debit cards are being provided by Doraville and Cochran-Johnson, officials said.

“I am very excited and happy to lend my support to getting the vaccination rate up in our Latinx community,” Cochran-Johnson said. “As we enter flu season, we are at a critical point in our fight to reach herd immunity.”