A day in the life of a COVID-19 vaccine clinic
GREENWICH — Walk into the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center in Old Greenwich, and it looks like the sort of unassuming public building that can be found in nearly every town in Connecticut.
Lit by the glow of fluorescent lighting, enlivened by soft rock music playing over the sound system, it’s a facility that typically attracts crowds for youth basketball games, model train shows or the Lions Club’s pancake breakfast.
But it is a special place for people seeking their vaccination shots against COVID-19. And for many, the trip through those glass doubledoors is a life-changing event.
For the dozens of people who streamed into the aging brick building on a recent afternoon at the clinic run by the nonprofit Family Centers health care program, that vaccine might mean seeing a family member for the first time in nearly a year, eating inside a restaurant again, or smiling at a friend.
“A lot of grateful people. It’s a pretty happy place to be,” said Heather Dawson, the vaccination director and nurse practitioner working at the clinic. “We had one person who said, ‘I haven’t been out of the house in a year.’ She was shaking with excitement.”
It’s a scene repeated across the state, and the nation, as the COVID-19 vaccination program expands to more of the population just about a year after the coronavirus hit so hard.
Nearly everyone arrived early for their appointments, and they often apologized while standing around. No worries, came the reply from staff — they understand.
First there was a check-in, and a request to verify their identification. There was not much waiting time to go from check-in to vaccination, the process was fast and smooth.
Two nurses dispensed the Moderna shots in the makeshift clinic in the Civic Center’s utility room, and during a recent vaccination session, many of the patients were teachers who had become priority recipients due to recent changes initiated by the office of Gov. Ned Lamont.
A nurse dispensing the shots, Denisha Russell, took a reassuring and humorous approach as she prepared to vaccinate the recipients who rolled up their sleeves for her.
“You won’t even know it — I’m fast and furious,” Russell told Heather Sanderson, a teacher from Glastonbury who drove down to Greenwich with her husband, Timothy. The nurse explained the procedure, how the follow-up vaccination would work and the possibility of some soreness or itching where the needle went in.
It’s been a pleasant job, Russell said, gesturing to the vaccination recipients who were seated nearby. “It’s as if they’ve won the lottery, and it’s a million-dollar ticket,” she joked.
“Yea, thank you so much,” Sanderson said after getting her vaccine. She then took a seat in a waiting area, where she stayed for 15 minutes, to make sure there were no adverse reactions to the shot — a highly unlikely outcome, the medical staff said.
Sitting down for her waiting period, Sanderson said the short procedure could open up possibilities for her and her husband, also a
teacher in Glastonbury, that had been closed off for the last year. They have only had limited contact with their daughter in Brooklyn, N.Y., she said.
“I just want to go back to things when they were normal,” she said.
“We haven’t been to a restaurant in one year,” said Tim Sanderson, “Takeout only.”
Alaina Kakos, a Danbury resident who teaches in Ridgefield, said the procedure was short and simple, but it would leave a lasting memory.
“I took a picture, which I want my kids to see, it’s kind of like being part of history,” she said. Kakos was planning
to celebrate at some point, “maybe with a glass of wine,” and she was also looking to tell friends and colleagues about the experience. Kakos said she knows there are people who are a bit uncertain or hesitant about taking the vaccine. “I’m certainly going to share this, to alleviate fear,” she said.
The vaccinations have been running smoothly since Family Centers opened the clinic in late January, as part of its mission to promote health care, education and human services in the region.
They have received assistance in recent days with personnel and resources from the Connecticut Air National Guard, and support from the town of Greenwich. “It’s been a case study in collaboration,” said Bill Brucker, senior vice president of communications and strategy at Family Centers. “And we’ll keep doing it as long as it’s necessary.”
As the afternoon progressed, vaccine recipients came and went, often leaving the building with a renewed sense of hope for the future.
Many burdens have been imposed in the past year, especially on educators, said Chris Mira, a Westport teacher who lives in Stamford. “I’m very happy to get the vaccination — I have an elderly mom. And a lot of masking, hand-washing, distancing, plexiglass,” he said, his thoughts trailing off. “I’m excited to have everyone get it (vaccinations) so we can all see each other’s faces again.”
Cynthia Violette, a teacher in Lebanon, exuded cheerful enthusiasm when it was her turn to get the vaccination — and the needle prick did nothing to dampen her spirits. “I didn’t even feel it,” she said afterward. “I’m just so glad to get it. Peace of mind. Nothing changes yet — I need to get the second shot — but I’m looking forward to the way things used to be.”
It’s been nearly a year since Michael Marchetti has seen some of his older regulars seated in the dining room of his Stamford restaurant, Columbus Park Trattoria. Fearful of the COVID-19 risk, the seniors stuck to takeout until the weather warmed up, and then nervously ate outdoors in the summer. As winter approached, they went back to takeout-only orders.
But in the past few weeks, Marchetti has seen some of those familiar faces return. Spotting the names of one couple on the reservation list, he told his manager, “I bet they had their vaccines.”
They did, and they were out to celebrate, he said: “The wife came in and gave me a big hug. She said, ‘We’re here, we’re back.’ ”
As Connecticut’s age-based vaccine rollout continues, restaurant owners are beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. For 12 months, they’ve been battered by COVID-19 and its effects on the economy: indoor dining shutdowns, limited capacity and other restrictions, and waning consumer confidence. But as more state residents get vaccinated and more guests feel comfortable dining out, restaurateurs are starting to see signs of relief .
Marchetti said January business was “brutal” at Columbus Park Trattoria on weeknights like Monday and Tuesday, where he would see four or five seatings the entire night. He said a 10 p.m. closing time, instituted by Gov. Ned Lamont’s office in November as COVID cases spiked, didn’t help. On especially slow nights, they’d wind down dinner service as early as 7:30 p.m.
But as Connecticut residents are getting their shots, “we haven’t been breaking records, but there’s a little more consistency,” he said. “It feels a little bit normal and people are acting that way.”
“It’s been a year, a long, long time. People want to sit at a bar, order their beer, get a plate of chicken wings and just watch the game on TV. They want to go out to dinner.”
Matt Storch, who owns Match Restaurant in South Norwalk and Match Burger Lobster in Westport, said he hasn’t yet seen many older customers in their 70s and 80s return to his restaurants. He is, however, seeing a lot of guests in the 55- to 65year-old range — their children’s ages.
“I think their parents have been vaccinated,” he said. “So even if they’re not vaccinated [themselves], they’re feeling a little more comfortable about coming out.”
The 55-plus age group, eligible for the vaccine as of March 1, makes up a significant portion of Storch’s clientele, so he thinks more guests will return over the next month as they receive their doses.
Scott Dolch, the executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, said the framework of the age-based vaccine rollout is giving restaurant owners a more tangible sense of when they may see more customer turnout.
“I’ve had a lot of good discussion with my restaurateurs, because [they say] ‘Listen, a lot of our guests are over the age of 55, or over the age of 45. We didn’t know when they would be vaccinated. We didn’t know how much longer to get through,’ ” he said.
Dolch said he’d heard from several restaurateurs after Valentine’s Day, who called to say — like Marchetti — that they’d seen regulars in their 70s return to dining rooms that weekend, with vaccination card in hand, thrilled to be out to dinner after a long and stressful year.
In New Haven, Jason Sobocinski is also expecting a successful
spring and summer, as the weather warms and diners’ consumer confidence builds with more vaccinations. He and his business partners reopened Ordinary, their Chapel Street cocktail bar, in late February as Gov. Lamont extended the restaurant curfew to 11 p.m.
“We’re staying within our parameters; everyone’s spread out,” he said. “But we’re seeing more reservations starting to get booked, and even more so in the subsequent weeks. So that’s exciting to see.”
Wedding bookings are another hopeful sign, he said. Olmo on Whitney Avenue, where he is a co-owner, has 20 to 25 weddings on its catering schedule from August to November.
Dolch also said the age-based vaccine timeline is helping set realistic expectations for those planning weddings and celebrations this year.
“It’s not [just] going to be grandparents, but by the time we get to the June wedding, the parents [of the couple] will probably
have both vaccinations if they’re from Connecticut,” he said. “The timeline, I hope it stays accurate ... and I hope we have enough vaccines, but I think it could be a really, really good thing for what the summer could look like.”
Marchetti has booked a “couple dozen” bridal showers, baby showers and rehearsal dinners for late May and beyond, he said. But one key piece of revenue — business and corporate dinners — is still largely missing, and he’s not sure when it will return.
“If it’s a big company [with local presence] that has a global or national presence, those companies there tend to operate on the more conservative level and will say they’re not planning on being back in the office until the fourth quarter of 2021, first quarter of 2022,” he said. “Whereas a smaller firm that can move and navigate these situations a little more freely ... could change on the fly and say hey, things are looking great, we’ll be back in
the office by spring.”
Storch said his restaurants are missing the business-related revenue as well. His customers who work in sales have lamented the pause on business entertaining, he said, as they find it much more difficult to close a deal “through a computer” than over lunch or dinner.
“That world hasn’t really started yet, and I don’t know what kick-starts that,” he said. “My guess would be customer confidence, and the state saying we’re going to lift restrictions, everyone can go back to work and entertain now.”
But as his guests return to the restaurant, Marchetti says he can see the joy on their faces. In late February, he said hello to an older couple taking their seats, and the woman hugged him, with tears in her eyes. “She said, ‘We’re finally out; it's been a year. It feels so good to be talking to people. We're so happy that you’re here, that you’re open. We got our vaccines, and we feel like we can live again.’ ”