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Your Health
EmblemHealth hosts Harlem Health and Wellness Expo
EmblemHealth, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health insurers, working alongside local elected officials and community organizations, recently held its Healthier Futures Wellness Expo in Harlem, New York. Thousands of Harlem residents and families attended the event where COVID-19 and flu vaccinations were provided in addition to dozens of other medical screenings, including breast cancer, diabetes, and HIV screenings, as well as a job fair, live entertainment, food, and other activities.
“EmblemHealth provides cuttingedge community health strategies to expand medical care access in underserved neighborhoods,” said Manny Quezada, vice president for Community Relations at Medly. “With nearly a third of urban residents living in pharmacy deserts, getting basic medical care is often a burden, but the Healthier Futures Wellness Exposition will offer a fun, family-friendly opportunity to get flu and COVID vaccinations, medical screenings, and health education in these underserved neighborhoods. We’re excited to partner with EmblemHealth to bring an innovative, community-based approach to expanding healthcare access and eliminating the disparities of pharmacy deserts.”
“Families across our city faced unprecedented challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and as our communities continue to endure the ongoing public health emergency, we cannot afford to fall victim to the ‘Twindemic’ of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “If we are truly to overcome the pandemic and get our community and region back on track, it is critically important that all eligible residents do their part and get vaccinated—to protect themselves, their families, our communities, and fellow New Yorkers.”
Experts also warn that this flu season will be worse than last year due to increased travel and continued COVID vaccination reluctance, among other factors. To help prevent flu and COVID surges, the Healthier Futures expos allowed people to get checked and vaccinated on site.
“Vaccination hesitancy is not the only contributing factor for the low vaccination rates in underserved communities, which often consist of people of color. Lack of access to vaccines and structural barriers are also impacting the rates of vaccination within these communities,” said Charlene Gayle, executive director of the New York State Association of Black Puerto Rican Hispanic and Asian Legislators Inc.
For more information, visit emblemhealth.com/about/neighborhood-care/ neighborhood-care-events/health-wellness-expo
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