Paterson mayor was accused of campaigning at vaccination site. Now, he wants residents to email him to get vaccinated.
By Jayed Rahman
Published: March 1, 2021
Mayor Andre Sayegh, who has been accused of campaigning at the Covid-19 vaccination site by his rivals, is asking residents to send him an email to get vaccinated.
Sayegh urged eligible residents, in a social media post on Saturday, to send him an email to his city address with their name and phone number if they are interested in getting vaccinated at the Calvary Baptist Church.
Sayegh’s critics said the mayor is trying to collect emails for his re-election campaign.
“It’s to build his email database,” said councilman Michael Jackson. “It’s not proper at all.”
Jackson said residents should be going through the Board of Health not by sending the mayor an email.
“It’s just unfair how the mayor is using the vaccination center to campaign. You see him every day, passing fliers and campaigning there,” said councilman Alex Mendez. “It’s not appropriate. It’s so wrong. But he doesn’t care.”
Sayegh previously denied campaigning at the International High School vaccination site. Sayegh has been a fixture at the site. He greets residents and has held numerous press conferences at the high school.
Both Mendez and Jackson are expected to run against Sayegh for next year’s mayoral race.
“He is trying to take advantage and use the vaccine to campaign,” said Mendez.
“Relative to the vaccination site opening at Calvary Baptist Church, I was asked by a representative from the state OEM to promote the site on social media. All emails I receive are quickly forwarded to Calvary Baptist Church and the State OEM,” said Sayegh in a message on Monday morning.
Community-based vaccination sites like the one expected to open at the Calvary Baptist Church are run by the New Jersey Department of Health, New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Department of Defense in partnership with local health departments and officials to provide “equitable access” to the Covid-19 vaccines.
Email: [email protected]