As Omicron Continues to Spread at a High Rate, Cobb/NMA Health Institute Emphasizes the Importance of COVID-19 Vaccinations and Boosters for Columbia's African American Community

COLUMBIA, S.C., Feb. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) confirmed that although cases of the now-dominant COVID Omicron variant have slowed, the virus is still spreading at a high rate. Public health experts, including those from the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute, believe that testing, vaccinations, and booster shots remain key to helping slow the spread, especially in the African American community.

W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute today announced that it is hosting a drive-through Stay Well Columbia Community Vaccine Event on February 12, 2022. This event will have a new sense of urgency now that children ages 5 and up can also receive the vaccine.

The W. Montague Cobb/ NMA Health Institute functions as a national consortium of scholars who engage in innovative research and knowledge dissemination for the reduction and elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities and racism in medicine. The Stay Well Columbia Community Vaccine Event is free and open to the public.

The event will take place on Saturday, February 12, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Grace Christian Church, 5010 Monticello Road, Columbia, SC 29203. The event will offer:

• Free drive-through vaccinations
• COVID-19 testing 
• Health resources 
• Access to panel discussion with local trusted Black healthcare professionals
• Giveaways

"There are many social, geographic, and economic factors that create challenges to vaccination access and acceptance," explained TBD, a local Cobb Institute physician. "The goal of the Stay Well Columbia vaccine event is to provide access and information to each and every member of the community." 

Top Ladies of Distinction, Incorporated, COLA City Chapter, along with TBD are serving as local event organizers. 

"Vaccine accessibility for all is the force behind the Stay Well drive-through vaccine clinic. It is a partnership between the Cobb Institute, state and local health organizations, and the Columbia community," stated Henrietta Gadson, event coordinator.

For more information, please visit https://staywellcommunityhealthfairs.org, and stay updated via Facebook and Instagram.

About Stay Well Community Health Fairs
Stay Well Health Fair and Vaccine events are designed to bring health-related resources to Black communities across the country. The W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute has partnered with local health agencies and community-based organizations in select cities to continue to educate Black communities while working to make vaccine resources more accessible. These fairs feature local trusted Black healthcare professionals in panel discussions on the continued impact of COVID-19, the vaccines, and the emerging variants. For more information, please visit https://staywellcommunityhealthfairs.org.

About Top Ladies of Distinction, Incorporated
Top Ladies of Distinction, Incorporated (TLOD) is a nonprofit professional humanitarian organization founded in 1964 to help alleviate the moral and social problems confronting youth. Today, the organization works to make a positive impact in communities nationwide in the following areas (called Thrusts): Top Teens of America, Status of Women, Senior Citizens, Community Beautification, and Community Partnerships. For more information, visit www.tlodinc.org, and follow them on Facebook at TLOD, Inc. – National and @tlodinc1964 on Instagram and Twitter. 

Media Contact
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414-260-8745

SOURCE Cobb/NMA Institute