Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Mass vaccination clinic hosted at Show Me Center

Friday, January 29, 2021
The vaccination floor at the Show Me Center during the mass vaccination clinic on Jan. 29.
Photo by Lucas Irizarry

In a combined effort between the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center and the National Guard, the duo organized a mass vaccination clinic at the Show Me Center on Jan. 29.

The fully booked event went from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and according to health educator Maria Davis, there were around 2,000 vaccines ready to be administered. Of the 2,000 vaccines, the National Guard provided 1,950.

The clinic delivers the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to high-risk people, meaning everyone who is treated must return to the Show Me Center on Feb. 19 for their second dose.

The treatment floor included three stations for those receiving the vaccine, with the first being medical paperwork, with questions designed to identify any potential allergic reactions to the vaccine. The second station is the actual vaccination, giving way to the final station, a 15 minute wait used to identify any negative reactions. The CDC recommends this 15 minute wait for anyone receiving the vaccine

The staff at the clinic featured approximately 30 medical care workers, 40 volunteers and members of the National Guard doing data entry and directing the nearly 30 minute long line of cars outside the stadium.

Davis said this event was in planning for months and was a product of several organizations coming together to make it happen.

“We knew we’d get to a point where we’d have to do mass vaccinations, so we’ve been working with the university and our other local partners to plan these processes,” Davis said. “It was then really easy for the National Guard to come in and help us do it on a massive scale.”

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