New mass vaccination site to see 7,000 people weekly
“We have the space and staff to expand our capacity significantly. We are constantly evaluating our vaccine supply and we will continue to open up vaccination appointment slots as we receive additional supplies.” Stamford Hospital spokesperson Andie Jodko
STAMFORD — A labyrinth of gray dividers lined the main hall of 1 Elmcroft Road, forming 20 alcoves meant for checking people in for their vaccine appointment. Just up the stairs, even more gray dividers formed 28 identical cubicles stocked with gloves, antibacterial wipes, bandages, and tissues.
The same day Gov. Ned Lamont announced an accelerated vaccine rollout, Stamford opened its newest vaccine clinic — a South End “super site” that can currently vaccinate about 7,000 people per week.
“And possibly even more if the supply increases,” added Mayor David Martin at opening festivities for the new clinic.
The city and Stamford Health transformed six floors of office space owned by developer Building and Land Technology into its second clinic. Community Health Center runs a third largescale vaccine site in the Lord & Taylor parking lot.
For its first day in business, Stamford Health Chief Operation Officer Jonathan Bailey said they had their initial sights set on a modest goal.
“We’re purposely starting on the slow side,” Bailey said. Just under 290 people scheduled a vaccine at the new super site on day one. The other clinic operated by Stamford Health — located at the main hospital — immunizes between 730 and 930 patients daily.
For the first three weeks, Stamford Health estimates the 1 Elmcroft facility will vaccinate 3,400 people weekly and then ramp up to 6,800 people per week (1,360 per weekday given its five-daya-week schedule).
In part, that move keeps capacity down while the site adjusts to new traffic but is also a response to statewide vaccine supply. The 1 Elmcroft clinic only carries the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and will only schedule first-dose appointments for the next three weeks.
According to the mayor, the new clinic leaves Stamford well equipped to deal with the coming flood of residents eligible for their COVID shots.
“We have already made preparations to significantly increase the number of vaccinations in Stamford as the state increases the supply of vaccine to our city,” Martin said in a statement. “We want everyone to have the opportunity to get vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available.”
Both the city and its partners have hinted toward scaling up vaccines for the community, possibly “3,000 vaccinations per day, seven days a week” at the Elmcroft facility, BLT Chairman Carl R. Kuehler III said previously.
On top of its everyday operations, Stamford Health plans to move its
“No Barriers” initiative — its push to vaccinate more residents from marginalized communities — entirely to the 1 Elmcroft clinic.
Even with enough staffing and space to vaccinate the entire population of New Hartford in a week, the super site has its share of hurdles to overcome. About 480,000 residents aged 45 to 54 become eligible for the vaccine on Friday. Just over two weeks later, on April 5, the rest of the state can tentatively get in line for the their COVID vaccines, a month earlier than predicted.
Prior to Lamont’s announcement, hospital spokesperson Andie Jodko told Hearst Connecticut Media that Stamford Health was ready for more demand, depending on what cards it was dealt by the state.
“We are starting to see the vaccine supply chain ramp up, which is very hopeful, as we continue to focus on vaccinating the underserved communities and those in the eligible age groups,” Jodko said. “We have the space and staff to expand our capacity significantly. We are constantly evaluating our vaccine supply and we will continue to open up vaccination appointment slots as we receive additional supplies.”