Healthcare workers were first in line on 1/6
The county executive was upbeat on Jan. 6, and so were many of the health-care workers who waited to be vaccinated. Several people called it an “emotional event.”
It was a long day at the county’s Emergency Service Center. Staff from Horizon Family Medical Group and Middletown Medical administered the vaccine in a heated tent at the edge of the parking lot. The recipients didn’t have to wait very long, because they had booked their time in advance. So the experience differed from the long lines and waits of several hours in some other states.
That was fortunate because it was cold and windy on Wednesday afternoon. The facility in Goshen is near the center of the county, but it was built at the top of a hill surrounded by flat lands. A mild day below felt surprisingly chilly at the higher elevation.
All of the people receiving shots were in Phase 1A – a group that includes emergency room workers, ICU and Pulmonary Department staff, residents and staff at nursing homes and other congregate care facilities, EMS workers, coroners, medical examiners and certain funeral workers.
As these people received the Moderna vaccine, they were given an appointment for a second shot 18 days later. By the early evening, 800 people had been vaccinated. At which point, County Executive Steve Neuhaus planned to chair a meeting to determine what worked well and what could be improved. He had already called the governor to ask for more vaccine.
There hasn’t been much traffic in my previous visits to the Emergency Service Center. But Jan. 6 was an exception. A member of the Sheriff’s Department directed cars in and out of the lot. As drivers arrived, workers directed them to the tent and gave them forms to fill out.
There were three outdoor press conferences during the lunch hour. Television crews interviewed staff from Horizon and then questioned Mr. Neuhaus, who was later joined by Dr. Irina Gelman, the county health commissioner.
Some of the interviewers asked the executive about people who are skeptical about getting the vaccine.
“Our message,” he replied, “is that the vaccine is safe; that our heroes, the frontline healthcare workers who fought in the trenches during COVID’s worst moments are getting vaccinated.”
On a personal note, he added, “I will receive the vaccination when I am eligible, and I encourage residents to do so when they have access to the vaccine.”
