Hiccups, yes, but vaccination process deserves praise
We recognize and acknowledge the recent public criticisms of the online appointment systems used to register for COVID-19 vaccines. That said, the ground operations focused on getting shots into arms are some of the most efficient and best managed health response events our state could ask for.
As 2020 came to a close, many of us were faced with the accumulation of a year’s worth of helplessness and eagerness to do something for the COVID-19 cause.
As public health professionals, we were both lucky enough to be inoculated in the first few months of the vaccine’s release. By serving as a Maricopa County Medical Reserve Corps volunteer and as a vaccine recipient in Tucson, the two of us were awestruck by the level of accountability, coordinated communication and efficient service present at each Point of Dispensing (POD).
At each site it was immediately clear the high level of organization and interagency coordination with representatives from the county departments of public health, local police and fire departments, disaster response organizations and medical fields. There was an exceptional level of transparency and information sharing.
In Phoenix, the drive-through system was set up such that each nonmedical volunteer was stationed with a nurse who was administering the vaccines. Inside each car was a health care provider grateful and relieved to receive the vaccine. Roughly five minutes was spent with each person explaining the procedure, administering the vaccine and answering questions.
The whole process was quick and efficient, allowing us to see about 150 in our tent alone, a total of about 1,000 inoculations for the entire site that day. As a Medical Reserve Corps volunteer, I played a small part that day, but as I looked around, I saw the greater system that I belonged to and realized that it is all made up of thousands of small parts, small acts and big heroes.
In Tucson, like Phoenix, hundreds of informed volunteers made the process seamless, even while navigating various checkpoints at the Tucson Convention Center.
No detail went overlooked; while volunteers confirmed my appointment, asked screening questions and completed my CDC vaccination card, they even offered a mask to add on to the one I was wearing (I was already wearing two, so I declined another).
Recipients were also told about the CDC vaccine tracking system, “V-Safe.” I understand the importance of collecting data from the real world, so I scanned the QR code to provide updates regarding any symptoms I might have post-vaccine. From the time I parked my car to the needle touching my arm, less than 30 minutes had passed.
There were an incredible number of volunteers who made these appointments at the Tucson and Phoenix sites run so quickly and smoothly. They were all knowledgeable in their role and managed to keep to the system with no issues.
EMTs were also present throughout the sites, with the biggest presence in the waiting areas in case anyone would experience any adverse effects. To achieve such an unprecedented mass vaccination event in so little time is an incredible feat and a testament to the power of public health and the dedication of public health professionals around our state.
For the sake of our crumbling public health system, we must acknowledge and highlight the things that are working well. Public health officials and health care workers in Arizona have been fighting an underfunded, uphill battle for nearly a year.
Though it has been challenging and less than perfect, we must continue to support and advocate for Arizona’s public health systems and employees as we work through the cycles of COVID-19 — and well after it subsides.