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| FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will offer health screenings and COVID-19 vaccines to the public at no cost at the Back to School Bash with a Splash in downtown El Dorado on Aug. 27, as part of a statewide initiative to improve health outcomes in rural communities in Arkansas.
The vaccines will be available to anyone 5 years of age and older.
According to the Arkansas Department of Health, about 47% of Union County’s population is fully immunized against COVID-19, and 183 people have died of COVID-19 in Union County since the pandemic started.
In addition to COVID-19 vaccines and health screenings, colorectal and breast cancer information and FIT tests for colon cancer will be available by the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.
“We hope we’re nearing the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we know there’s more to do so we can protect all Arkansans from becoming seriously ill with the coronavirus,” said Stephanie Kruger, associate director of Community Programs in the UAMS Office of Community Health & Research. “If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, need a booster or just have questions about the vaccine or your health, we encourage you to come out and see us at the Back to School Bash with a Splash. We’re not just here to provide vaccines — we want to reach out to the Union County community and answer questions so you can make an informed decision about your health care.”
COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to significantly lessen symptoms of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 11,750 people in Arkansas since 2020. While the number of cases in Arkansas continues to decline, vaccination against the virus is encouraged by medical officials to avoid serious illness or death.
UAMS will provide COVID-19 vaccines to anyone 5 years of age and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots are available to anyone 5 years and older and the Moderna booster shots are available to anyone 18 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend booster shots for persons five months after their initial series of vaccines.
Patients who take a short survey after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine at the event will receive a $20 Walmart gift card.
The Back to School Bash with a Splash will be held from noon until 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 27, in downtown El Dorado. Free life jackets will also be available while supplies last.
For more information about COVID-19, including resources, mobile vaccine events and education, visit nwa.uams.edu/covid.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,047 students, 873 medical residents and fellows, and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
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