Volunteers are at the center of county vaccine effort

PHOTO: Vaccine dispenser Derrick Hernandez checks an extracted dose of the vaccine in a syringe on Jan. 16.

By Emily Chapman,

BlueDevilHUB.com Editor–

Yolo County administered more than 1,390 Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to health care workers at drive-thru clinics during the week of Jan. 10.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA-1273) is one of two vaccines Yolo County is distributing to the public, alongside the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Recipients of the Moderna vaccine must be given two shots 28 days apart and are recommended to be at least 18 years or older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention.

Clinics took place at the Yolo County Health Department in Woodland and Harper Jr. High in Davis, with 60 to 100 volunteers at each site.

Sacramento County resident Brad Ensminger decided to volunteer to give back to frontline health care workers.

“[My goal] is to help, in some small way, to safeguard people’s lives and participate in this historic moment,” Ensminger said. “It’s a tangible means of thanking health care professionals for their service.”

Ensiminger greeted participants and reviewed paperwork for completion at the Wednesday clinic, alongside Folsom nursing student Brittin Howard.

“I felt that it would be rewarding to provide aid to those risking their lives to save our loved ones in the hospital,” Howard said. “Being able to vaccinate over a thousand people during these few days has shown the power that we have as a collective force. […] Even though it was a long day, everyone had smiles on their faces and was in good spirits.”

Davis High student Emma Nansen volunteered for three clinics in hopes of gaining a better understanding of how diseases are dealt with in a state of emergency.

“My volunteer leaders who are currently health care professionals have given me some really good insight about their experiences in the profession,” Nansen said.

Like Nansen, UC Davis undergraduate Emily Htway wants to learn more about how public health emergency responses are coordinated, and was eager to volunteer her efforts to combat the pandemic.

“While my contribution may be smaller than others, I am still able to contribute to the general wellness of the community,” Htway said.

Anyone 16 and older who is interested in volunteering is welcome to participate.

According to Yolo County Public Information Officer Jenny Tan, Yolo County is planning the next series of clinics, but is dependent on the next shipment of vaccines from the state.

“We want to let the public know that we are working as quickly as we can to vaccinate people. However, how fast we go depends on the number of vaccines we get from the state,” Tan said.

Aside from needing more doses, Tan believes the clinics have been “functioning extremely well.”

“We will continue to use the [clinics] as we see fit for the industry or type of residents we’re serving,” Tan said. “For some, like the nursing centers it was easier on the residents and the staff to go to them and vaccinate them on site. For the general public, these drive-thrus with appointments will likely be easier.”

Tan recommends Yolo County residents fill out an online vaccine availability form to “be notified when their phase and tier are up next and also help the County to organize and schedule clinics much more quickly and efficiently.”

To fill out the form, look up http://bit.ly/VaccineAvailability or go to the COVID-19 information on the Yolo County website.