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Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas raises COVID-19 vaccine awareness

Walking tour held in city's west side
Beto Lopez and Mayor Quinton Lucas
Posted at 10:28 PM, May 05, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-05 23:51:15-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas took to the streets Wednesday to raise awareness of the COVID-19 vaccine on the city's west side.

Guadalupe Centers, a nonprofit that has served as a resource during the pandemic for the predominately Latino neighborhood, organized the mayor's walking tour.

"For whatever reason there has been a hesitant to do it [get vaccinated], but once a family member gets it – gets a vaccine there's a comfort level that spread quickly throughout a family," Beto Lopez, acting CEO of Guadalupe Centers, said.

Some public health officials would like to see more concrete data when it comes to knowing which minority groups are getting vaccinated. The KCMO Health Department said the numbers in Missouri are hard to track because while some clinics keep track of race and ethnicity, larger pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens aren't required to report that information to the state.

In speaking to residents, business owners and visitors, Lucas interacted with a handful of vaccine skeptics.

"I have been thinking about it, I have—I’ve got a little one. So I definitely have been thinking about it," Talisa Jackson, who is hesitant on getting covid vaccine said. "But I'm still on the fence very much because I really don't know a lot about the COVID, let alone a vaccine. It all hit me like a ton of bricks."

Still, Lucas said the virus still is a round and still is a challenge.

"People are still getting sick," he said. "You need to get vaccinated, so that way we can keep the entire community safe," Lucas said.