Community vaccination clinic off to successful beginning
The first person to be vaccinated at the YMCA clinic on Monday, Jan. 25 is Ed Jager. Giving the shot is Mona Buffam, RN. Courtesy of LincolnHealth
Patrick Parson, director of operations, LincolnHealth, signals to people with appointments waiting in their cars of the check-in time. Courtesy of LincolnHealth
After being screened, patients are checked in. Courtesy of LincolnHealth
The first person to be vaccinated at the YMCA clinic on Monday, Jan. 25 is Ed Jager. Giving the shot is Mona Buffam, RN. Courtesy of LincolnHealth
Patrick Parson, director of operations, LincolnHealth, signals to people with appointments waiting in their cars of the check-in time. Courtesy of LincolnHealth
After being screened, patients are checked in. Courtesy of LincolnHealth
The MaineHealth COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic got off to a good start Monday, with 240 individuals receiving the first dose of the vaccine at the Boothbay Region YMCA Fieldhouse.
“The hard work and planning of our team was evident from the start,” said James Donovan, LincolnHealth president. “We appreciate that only those who had appointments came to the clinic. This helped the whole process run smoothly.”
People who arrive at the clinic are greeted at their vehicle and appointment times are confirmed. Then, they wait in their cars until their check-in time is posted near the front entrance. From there, those who are to be vaccinated enter the Fieldhouse, answer screening questions and move through the vaccination process.
Ed Jager was the first to receive the vaccination at the Boothbay Harbor clinic.
“I was the first child born to my parents, but I’ve never been first for anything else,” said Jager, a business and estate planning attorney who has stayed in Southport since COVID-19 began but also has a home in Boston. Jager said he was impressed with how easy the process was and made sure he took the call center’s phone number to share with his friends.
“The risk of the vaccine is far less than the risk of getting COVID, I’ve been doing what I can to help spread the word,” said Jager.
Vaccination continues throughout the week in the Fieldhouse, with appointments booked through Friday. The clinic can only schedule appointments one week in advance due to the uncertainty of the number of vaccine doses that will be received. Indications are that there will be between 400 and 480 doses the week of Feb. 1 and fewer doses in the week to follow.
“We will be ready to deliver the number of doses that are available,” Donovan said. “I recognize that the uncertainty causes some angst, but it is out of our control. We are in it for the long haul and we ask the public to be patient. We will get you vaccinated.”
Age 70 and up are currently the targeted population for vaccination, but you can still show your interest in being vaccinated by calling 877-780-7545 to register for a scheduled appointment. You will receive a return message or call from the call center when an appointment is available to you.
People in other categories may also register as well. You should not register repeatedly – once you have completed the registration, you are officially awaiting the opportunity to be scheduled.
More information can also be found at www.mainehealth.org/Vaccine
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