Coronavirus Pandemic

Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium offering flu shots in Philly

Over the next week, the vaccine for seasonal influenza will be offered at locations across the city, to stave off a possible 'twindemic.'

Emily Scott

October 16, 2020

People in their vehicles receive COVID-19 tests at a barrier free location outside the Pinn Memorial Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Wednesday, April 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium is offering free community-based flu shots to help stave off a possible “twindemic” of the coronavirus and seasonal influenza.

Since April, the consortium has tested more than 10,000 people in the Philadelphia region for the coronavirus, showing up in church parking lots and tent pop-ups on city street corners. Founded by Dr. Ala Stanford, a pediatric surgeon, the group’s efforts have been focused on increasing access to testing in a city where Black Philadelphians were contracting the coronavirus at a rate nearly twice that of their white counterparts.

The consortium will be providing both flu shots and coronavirus testing at the following locations and times:

Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Yesha Ministries Worship, 2301 Snyder Ave., Philadelphia 19145

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Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Northeast Baptist Church, 4744 Tackawanna St., Philadelphia 19124

Thursday, Oct. 29 from 3 to 7 p.m.
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, 2800 W. Cheltenham Ave., Philadelphia, 19150

Saturday, Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hartranft Playground Alliance, 800 W. Cumberland St., Philadelphia 19133

Health Commissioner Thomas Farley and Stanford held a press conference on Oct. 16 at Deliverance Evangelistic Church in North Philadelphia, where the consortium was offering flu shots and COVID-19 tests.

“It’s especially important for everyone over the age of six months to get their flu shot this year. It is possible for people to catch both viruses at the same time, but right now, we only have a vaccine that can prevent one of them,” said Farley, who received a flu shot from Stanford during the event.

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People can also receive flu shots at their local pharmacy as well as one of the City Health Centers. You can call ahead for a same-day appointment at 215-685-2933.

Public health officials are concerned about the potential burden on the regional health systems dealing with a possible surge of COVID-19 cases as well as severe cases of the flu.

Pennsylvania requested and was allocated 386,130 doses of the flu vaccine in 2019. This year, officials requested more than 860,000 doses — and that doesn’t cover Philadelphia, which receives its own allocation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state Health Department received CDC funding for a media campaign aimed at motivating residents to get their flu shots.

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