“Hello, step up to the blue circle on the floor. I need you to do three things before going into the room for vaccination. First, take off your jacket. Second, roll up your sleeve. Third, take all of your belongings into the vaccination station where you will receive your COVID shot – and don’t forget your CDC card!”
That was my script as a Virginia Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteer at the Arlington County COVID Vaccination Clinic last week. The day started early with a 30-minute briefing by the Point of Dispensing (POD) leaders. Promptly at 9:00, everyone was in their assigned location as we started with the first set of Group 1a appointments for the day.
The POD was Arlington County employees collaborating with Arlington MRC volunteers and representatives from the Arlington County Police Department. Our goal was to administer 150 vaccinations for the day. The process was efficient and well managed from the steps of initial temperature screening at the door, registration, ID validation, staging or “flow” before entry into the vaccination station, and finally, the observation area. The observation area is a 15-30 minute post-vaccination waiting room in the event anyone had any adverse reactions to the vaccine.
By 5:00 PM, we met the mission – 150 vaccinations in healthcare professionals’ arms. It was the end of a long week, but just the beginning of an immunization program to help the community get back to some sense of normalcy that we all miss. To learn more about volunteering with the Arlington MRC, check out the website at https://health.arlingtonva.us/medical-reserve-corps/. The plan for Arlington County’s COVID Vaccine Plan is available at https://www.arlingtonva.us/covid-19/vaccines/.
POST UPATE:
On February 2, 2021 Arlington County published a YouTube video: COVID-19 Vaccinations: Inside an Arlington County Public Health Clinic. Check it out at https://youtu.be/atlQ6-iiMnw
Let me know about your COVID vaccination experience, and remember to “spread the word, not the virus”! Mask up and stay safe.
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