Bishop Carl Jones of Greater Parkview Church in Greensburg admits having many reservations earlier this year about the covid-19 vaccine, but that initial skepticism has turned to advocacy over the past few months.

Jones, pastor since 2003 of the nondenominational, multicultural church with many Black congregants, teamed with two other entities to have the Westminster Avenue church host a covid-19 vaccination clinic Saturday.

The others contributing were Voice of Westmoreland, a grassroots community organization, and Mainline (Bushy Run) Pharmacy in Penn Township.

“This is new to everybody, and there’s bound to be a sense of hesitancy and apprehension,” Jones said. “Like many people, I was very skeptical about the covid-19 vaccine, but, after completing my research, I found that this is something that we need to do and have to do.

”I received my first vaccination on March 26. I’m so glad I did,” said Jones, 61.

Jones said he has encouraged friends, family and others in the community to receive a vaccination.

Diana Steck, a retired nurse from North Huntingdon who serves as volunteer coordinator for Voice of Westmore­land’s covid project, said Saturday the organization has been working for months urging a more equitable distribution of the vaccines locally. She believes many vulnerable community members were left behind during the initial vaccine roll out when supplies were scarce.

“We feel this clinic is extremely important, and we’re really happy we were able to partner with this,” Steck said. “It’s a lot more than just getting shots in the arms. … It’s about building relationships in the community.”

State and national push

This month, state health officials and Gov. Tom Wolf have emphasized working to get the vaccine out to rural areas and communities with ethnic minority populations. This week, Wolf visited the Guthrie Health vaccine clinic in a former Kmart in Sayre, Bradford County, where a clinic was established to serve rural residents.

Experts estimate at least 70% and as many as 90% of the population will need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, or the point where the disease stops spreading because enough of the population has antibodies against it.

About 25% of Americans say they probably or definitely will not get vaccinated, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Steck said if Pennsylvania wants to reach that 70% level, “we’re going to have to meet the community where they are at” with clinics such as the one at Greater Parkview and do a better job of educating the public.

She noted that when people call to preregister for the clinic, many residents were not aware vaccinations eligibility has expanded. Anyone 16 and older is now eligible in Pennsylvania to get the coronavirus vaccine.

‘We needed to be involved’

“As a church serving the community, we felt we need to be involved,” Jones said.

Dr. Robin L. Sims, medical director and a pediatric specialist at Primary Care Health Services in Alle­gheny County, is a deaconess and Sunday school teacher at Greater Parkview. She helped persuade Jones the vaccine is safe. Sims helped coordinate the clinic in Greensburg that vaccinated more than 100 people.

Public skepticim of the vaccine is to be expected, she said.

“People should have questions and be concerned,” Sims said. “But what we should encourage people to do is follow the science.

“Vaccines are safe, and they are needed. The only way we’re going to get out of the pandemic … get to a new normalcy is to get the covid vaccine.”

Greater Parkview parishioner Evelyn Jones was among those who delayed getting vaccinated until Saturday’s clinic. She said she is glad she did.

“I was skeptical myself and didn’t want to do it,” Jones said. “But I have high blood pressure, and that changed my mind on it.”

“And it didn’t hurt at all,” she laughed moments after retired nurse Patti Kimball of Greensburg administered the inoculation.

Those who received the first dose of the vaccine Saturday at the clinic were automatically signed up to receive the second dose May 15.

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