Hattiesburg, Mississippi – On Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14, the City of Hattiesburg, Forrest General and Hattiesburg Clinic will host a two-day vaccination clinic at CE Roy Community Center (300 East 5th Street)

The clinic will be open from Noon to 5 p.m., and it will be first-come-first-served with no appointment necessary. There is no cost to the patient, and each who receives a first-dose will exit the facility with an appointment for a second-dose three weeks from February 13 and 14. 

“Throughout this pandemic, we have leaned heavily on the expertise and outreach efforts of Forrest General Hospital and Hattiesburg Clinic,” said Mayor Toby Barker. “We are excited to see our free testing center at C.E. Roy Community Center expand its services to include COVID vaccinations next weekend. Ensuring that all populations have access to this important immunization will help us continue steering toward the end of this public health crisis.” 

The community is encouraged to prioritize this event for those in underserved areas and for those who may not have access to book an appointment through the technology used by other vaccination sites. 

“The COVID pandemic has hit the African American community particularly hard, as we are four times more likely to be hospitalized and three times more likely to die from COVID-19 related illnesses. While not more genetically susceptible to getting the virus, African Americans and Latinos are more susceptible to the longstanding inequities that prevent access to the health care needed, creating health disparities,” said Jawauna Stewart, MD with Hattiesburg Clinic.  “This is why vaccination events like this one is so important. I want to thank the City of Hattiesburg, Forrest General and Hattiesburg Clinic for recognizing an unmet need in our community regarding vaccine access and doing something about it.”

This site will administer 250 vaccines on Saturday and 250 vaccines on Sunday.

“Since May, we’ve tested over 5,700 patients at the CE Roy Community Center, and now we’re entering a new phase in the fight against COVID-19,” said Bryan Batson, MD and CEO of Hattiesburg Clinic. “On behalf of Hattiesburg Clinic and Forrest General, I can say that we’re excited to have been given the green light from the Department of Health to provide these vaccines at such a critical time.”

Additionally, the CE Roy Community Center will continue to provide COVID-19 testing at no cost to patients on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. until Noon.

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