Pharmacy catering to a diverse South Seattle neighborhood is on a mission to vaccinate against COVID-19
(SEATTLE TIMES) – A flurry of languages flowed through the South End’s Othello Station Pharmacy on a recent Wednesday as customers filled prescriptions and rolled up their shirt sleeves to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
The pharmacy near the corner of 43rd Avenue South and South Othello Street was seemingly ordinary, with its rows of over-the-counter medication and first-aid supplies.
But a display of hand-crafted items — camel milk soap, painted greeting cards and a flyer featuring a picture of Mecca — hinted at the pharmacy’s cultural relevance for its diverse local community.
Pharmacists Dr. Ahmed Ali and Dr. Abdirahman Tache established what may be the state’s only Black-owned pharmacy in 2018 as an accessible shop that addresses health disparities for a clientele including African immigrants, and Black and Asian Americans.
The staff’s knowledge of multiple languages and cultural sensitivities helps cater to the diverse neighborhood’s needs, Ali said.
As COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact communities of color in King County, patients and volunteers said the pharmacy and its pop-up clinics at churches, mosques and community centers fill a gap in vaccinations for people who need them the most.
While Black residents compose 6.4% of the county population, for example, they make up 11.6% of COVID-19 cases, according to recent Public Health – Seattle & King County statistics.
The pharmacy’s efforts will play an even more vital role in vaccinating marginalized communities now that everyone 16 years and older is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, Public Health officials said.
“They’ve developed a lot of trust from within the community, which is why they play a huge role,” said Ali Omar, faith-based organization lead at the health department.
In Somali, Dr. Ahmed Ali, dressed in a white lab coat over a plaid shirt and black tie, explained the COVID-19 vaccine form to Renton resident Abdihalim Mahamud on that recent Wednesday.
Mahamud was led to a small office where nurse Iman Yunis spoke to him in his native language and English, uttering an “it’s OK” before she administered the shot.
