New London — Regina Knox had, for a time, harbored some reservations about signing up for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The 62-year-old New London woman said it was a matter of trust and she knows she is not the only one in the Black community who initially hesitated. But she trusts Shiloh Baptist Church and it was through the advocacy of her church, coupled with a bit of prayer, that she was able to overcome her concerns.

Knox was one of 60 people who gathered throughout the morning inside Shiloh Baptist Church’s Family Life Center on Thursday to receive a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. It was part of a pop-up clinic sponsored by Yale New Haven Health.

Knox learned about the clinic through her church.

“Our bishop, Benjamin K. Watts, has been so proactive in providing us with information, about the efficacy, about the safety of doing this,” Knox said. “The fact is it’s something we need to do, especially people of color. I had to do this for myself and church and community.”

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Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and Yale New Haven Health are addressing some of the access barriers and racial disparities in vaccination rates that exist by partnering with neighborhood churches and other community organizations across the state.

Yale New Haven’s pop-up clinics — others are being held in New Haven and Bridgeport — are targeting some of the 50 ZIP codes Gov. Ned Lamont's administration has deemed to be areas of need, those that have a “high social vulnerability index.” The state Department of Public Health has directed vaccine providers to administer at least 25% of the available vaccine supply in those areas — places with high-density housing, higher than average poverty rates and where people have less access to transportation.

Patrick Green, president and chief executive officer at L+M, said at-risk communities tend to have a high percentage of Black and brown residents with access issues and some vaccine hesitancy.

“So we want to meet people in the community to create that access to improve the vaccination rate,” Green said. “We’ve all been impacted by this horrible pandemic but we know people of color are more likely to be hospitalized or even die due to COVID.”

A similar pop-up clinic will be held at the Church of the City in New London next month.

“People trust their places of faith, their pastors, their bishops and congregations. That is a way to increase the level of vaccinations,” Green said.

Vaccines at Thursday’s clinic were available by appointment only for individuals over the age of 55, educators and child care providers who live or work in Connecticut in accordance with state of Connecticut eligibility criteria. Health care providers will return in three weeks to administer the second doses.

Robin Harris, a 64-year-old employee in the Ledyard school system and a Shiloh member, received her first vaccination on Thursday. A smile was apparent under the two masks she wore after the shot. She said she had no hesitations in getting the vaccine and had jumped at the first available opportunity.

While the school district has been diligent in getting the word out about available vaccination clinics, Harris said those sites have been overwhelmed. Shiloh was close and easy. When she heard about the announcement through the church, “I said this is for me. This is my church.”

For many of the people who arrived at Shiloh on Thursday, it was the first time back in the church in a year. The church has been holding virtual services.

“An unintended benefit that I love is that for the many folks who haven’t seen each other ... you’ll see them sitting back with members of their church, chatting, talking — socially distanced, of course. It’s wonderful to see people not only helping themselves get back to a normal life but having a little sense of normalcy,” said Nancy Hanson, system director for community health at Yale New Haven Health Systems.

“I miss the building but we are the church,” Knox said. “We are strong in spirit.”

For a list of local vaccination sites or information on eligibility, visit portal.ct.gov/Vaccine-Portal or call the state’s Vaccine Appointment Assist Line, (877) 918-2224, which is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

g.smith@theday.com