Central Baptist Church holds COVID-19 vaccination event

By HOLLY VIERS hviers@timesnews.net

KINGSPORT — A Model City church is working to ensure its elderly members get a chance to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Central Baptist partnered with the Sullivan County Regional Health Department to hold a vaccination event at the church Friday afternoon. The church has now hosted two vaccination events for its elderly members as well as for some members of other nearby churches.

“We’re the oldest African American church in the community, and a lot of our parishioners are elderly,” said Vicki Smith, parish nurse. “Quite a few of them don’t drive, so this way we’d be able to reach them, and they can get their vaccines and be comfortable.”

Nurses on Friday gave 15 people the first dose and 20 the second dose.

Smith said Central Baptist is one of the few churches, if not the only one, in Kingsport that has been able to offer a vaccination event for elderly members of its congregation.

“We needed our elderly to get their shots as soon as possible,” said church member Jerry Harrison. “So we felt if we could help, we would do it.”