Lorina Marshall-Blake, vice president of Community Affairs at Independence Blue Cross and president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, received her first COVID-19 vaccine through the Black Doctors COVID Consortium.
Marshall-Blake praised the organization and its leader Dr. Ala Stanford for the outstanding job they’ve done providing free COVID-19 testing and now vaccines for Philadelphia residents — especially African Americans and other minority populations who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
In Philadelphia, African Americans make up 42.5 percent of COVID-19 cases; 54.6 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations; and 47.9 percent of COVID-19 deaths. Marshall-Blake emphasized the importance of getting the vaccine for communities of color: “When you are COVID vaccinated, you are contributing to your community’s immunity.”
Marshall-Blake urges everyone to sign up to receive their vaccine as soon as they are eligible: “Our nation has already lost more than 500,000 lives to COVID-19. That won’t end until enough people are vaccinated to stop the spread. So please, get vaccinated when it’s your turn.”
For more information about eligibility, visit ibx.com/covid19/vaccines. Read more about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines from Dr. Reetika Kumar, medical director and SVP of Clinical Services at Independence.
