The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Officials hope to hold a vaccine clinic
Strong turnout and interest show need, officials say
PORTLAND — When the town decided to hold a vaccine clinic, there was no way to know Mother Nature would roll out a snowstorm on the day the shots were to be given.
But when the storm was inevitable last Monday, library staff members called the 80 people who had signed up to tell them the clinic had been rescheduled to this past Friday, said Youth & Family Services and Senior Citizens Director Mary Pont.
It worked: Vaccinations were administered to 80 people on Friday.
Now, First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield said the town hopes to schedule additional clinics for the 100-plus residents 75 and older who have added their names to the list of those seeking the vaccination.
However, Pont noted, the success of those efforts depends on “how much vaccine we’re going to get from the state.”
“It’s been a bit exhausting, a bit trying,” Pont said.
But, she added, “We’re trying to do the best we can for our seniors.”
The state is pushing to get as many residents as possible over the age of 75 inoculated against the coronavirus virus. According to the state, about 45 percent of the population over the age of 75 has been vaccinated against COVID. In Portland, that means 1,036 first doses had been administered as of Feb. 3, among that total are about 47 percent of people age 75 and older, the state website notes.
Gov. Ned Lamont Monday also announced that state residents 65 and older will be eligible to schedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments starting Feb. 11.
The town launched the effort to provide vaccinations for those 75 and older because some may not have access to a computer or the familiarly of how to use them, according to officials and health care professionals.
Pont said in many cases, that is a segment of the population in which “some people don’t have access to a computer or, is some cases they don’t even have an email address.”
“That presented us with a quite a problem,” Pont recently told the Board of Selectmen.
“They’re afraid they couldn’t get a vaccination,” Pont said.
”We’ve had seniors coming from all over the state” trying to get an inoculation. “It’s not just Portland,” she said.
The issue has been further complicated by residents calling the state hotline to make appointments for a vaccination only to be placed on indefinite hold with no result, she said.
“We needed to do something,” Pont said. She reached out to Russell S. Melmed, the health director for the Chatham Health District.
Together they came up with the plan for a resident-only clinic, using the Portland Public Library as the place where resident could leave a message with their name and phone number.
Pont then called the residents to schedule the individual appointments.
Bransfield said she was particularly thankful to Pont and to Library Director Janet Nocek and her staff for their commitment to making the program a success.
“This is the way things should be,” Bransfield said, “with people in our town helping one another in what is a real team effort.”