Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury on Monday opened a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on its grounds in partnership with Boston Medical Center.
Acting Mayor Kim Janey briefed reporters at the church, along with Rev. Willie Bodrick, ll and Dr. Thea L. James, the hospital’s vice president of mission and associate chief medical officer.
The opening of the clinic came on the same day that all Massachusetts residents aged 16 and older became eligible to sign up for a vaccine appointment.
“As the COVID-19 Vaccine continues to roll out across the country, faith-based institutions in high-risk communities, like Twelfth Baptist, have taken on the task of hosting these clinics and underscoring what it means to do the good work that is needed to achieve an equitable recovery, reopening, and renewal of Boston,” Janey said, according to a transcript of her prepared remarks.
She said the city continues to “pursue a four-pronged approach to vaccination that includes mass clinics, priority group clinics, mobile vaccination teams, and community-based clinics, such as the one being offered here at Twelfth Baptist Church.”
James also spoke during the briefing and lauded the collaboration between the hospital and church, according to a transcript of her remarks.
“Boston Medical Center is proud to partner with Twelfth Baptist Church to bring life-saving COVID vaccines to Roxbury,” James said. “People in this neighborhood will be able to get the vaccine right where they live, in a church that they know and trust. This historic church has been central to the spiritual life and health of this community for nearly two centuries. No one knows this community better and has been a greater champion for equity.”
James added that Black and brown communities have been hit the hardest by the pandemic.
“At BMC, we’ve seen the toll that COVID-19 has taken on Roxbury and the surrounding neighborhoods that we serve,’ James said. “But we come here today full of hope, not fear. We know vaccines are the way out of this pandemic. The vaccine will put us on the road to thriving again.”
And the church had earlier broke the news about the clinic via Facebook.
“We are proud to announce that Twelfth Baptist, in partnership with Boston Medical Center, will be opening the newest COVID-19 vaccination site on Monday, April 19th!” the church wrote in a Saturday posting.
According to the posting, the clinic will operate Monday through Saturday “to ensure our goal of increasing vaccine access and equity.”
The posting also included a video message from Bodrick, the church’s senior pastor.
“As many of you know, communities of color have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19,” Bodrick says in the clip. “There have been many vaccinated, but not nearly enough in the places hardest hit. During this time it is important that we continue to open sites, so that we can ensure vaccine equity in our community. We want to make sure that families that live in socially vulnerable neighborhoods have access, but more importantly feel comfortable to take the vaccine.”
A recent analysis from physicians and researchers at several Boston-area institutions found that Black and Latino communities, where the risk of COVID-19 infection is greatest, still have among the lowest inoculation rates in the state, despite efforts to ensure vaccines are distributed equitably across Massachusetts.
Bodrick adds in the video message that the church is “thankful” to serve as a place of both physical and spiritual healing amid the pandemic.
“So join us, by signing up in the link below as we choose healing over hurt and Christ over COVID,” Bodrick said. “Thank you, and God bless.”
Material from prior Globe stories was used in this report.
Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.