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A new pilot program aimed at increasing vaccination rates of Black Floridians launched in the State’s capital city Monday.

A new $300,000 mobile medical unit secured by Bethel Baptist Church with private donations will be used to penetrate into some of the areas in the city experiencing high vaccine hesitancy to provide education and shots on the spot.

Reverend RB Holmes, who sits on the Statewide COVID-19 Vaccination Community Education and Engagement Taskforce, said with only roughly twenty percent of Black Floridians vaccinated so far, innovative efforts like these are pivotal to reaching the goal of 70 percent vaccinated by early 2022.

“You know there’s a lot of hesitancy, a lot of reluctancy, but we’re going to overcome that with this medical mobile unit in this city and across the State of Florida. We’re gonna have to have faith-based leaders, again, those trusted voices [and] now a trusted venue, to go where the people are,” said Holmes.

Florida’s Deputy Secretary of Health attended the launch ceremony and said the goal is to expand mobile faith-based vaccination efforts across the state.