Traffic cones mark the different vaccine stations in the Competition Gym at Clarke Central High School on Saturday. CCHS school nurse Yvette Rabb coordinated this drive alongside the Georgia Department of Public Health, Medical College of Georgia and the Clarke County School District. “We started planning for (the drive) as soon as the state opened the vaccination for 16, 17, and 18-year-olds. The registrars are CCSD volunteers (and) the vaccinators are (volunteer) medical students,” Rabb said. “We (also) have CCSD nurses working at different stations to assist (and) to make sure (the drive) runs smoothly.” Photos by Delila Tejada
Clarke County School District nurses and volunteer nursing students from the Medical College of Georgia administered doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to students and parents in the Clarke Central High School Competition Gym on Saturday.
CCHS nurse Yvette Rabb planned this event in coordination with several different organizations.
“(The drive) was a joint effort of the (CCSD) nursing department, along with Dr. Suzanne Lester who works with the Medical College of Georgia,” Rabb said. “(Lester and I) knew once (a) vaccine was available (for teenagers), we were going to try to vaccinate as many (CCHS students) as we could.”
Rabb was pleased with how the drive went and was glad there was a supportive environment at the drive.
“(The drive was) great. People who are afraid to be vaccinated (were) getting vaccinated with a lot of support from our physicians, from their parents, from our med students. It’s just like I expected,” Rabb said.
CCHS parent Alyson Campbell was happy with how the drive was organized and planned.
“(The organizers) were very clear about expectations and social distancing requirements once you got in the building. Everything was very well laid out and designed, and as far as I can tell, it’s gone very smoothly.” Campbell said.
CCHS senior Caleb Slaton received his vaccine at the drive and feels that the process of getting the shot was easy.
“(The vaccination process) was pretty simple. They just rub alcohol on (your arm) and they just stick (the needle) in. No problem,” Slaton said. “(I think you should) make sure you don’t get it on your dominant (arm so it’s not sore).”
Campbell believes signing her child in to receive the vaccine was very simple for both her and her child.
“I just walked with him to the sign-in desk and he signed in. (Then the registrars) looked his name up and they filled out his vaccination card and that was it. Now he’s (got) his vaccine, (and) there was no wait,” Campbell said.
Some people registered to get the vaccine but did not come to the drive, so volunteers reached out to other CCHS community members in an attempt to waste as little vaccine as possible.
“All nurses and doctors and some medical students got on their phones and started to call individuals as well as post on social media,” Rabb said. “I called our Athletic Trainer, Allie Palmer, and she started to text coaches and students for us. She also posted on social media.”
Even with this effort to reach other CCHS community members, the drive still had excess vaccine, so volunteers began to distribute it to the broader community around CCHS.
“It seemed we were not getting enough people, (so) Dr. Suzanne Lester and the medical students started to walk through Rocksprings and knock on doors. They then went up and down Baxter giving vaccines to individuals,” Rabb said. “Patrick Reilly (with the DPH) drove to the library and picked up several people to be vaccinated, and dropped them back off. Dawn Meyers drove to her house and picked up her yard crew to be vaccinated. Amy Roark went to Kroger and tried to get people vaccinated there. By the end of the day, all the vaccines were given and none were wasted.”
Rabb is grateful for all of the volunteers who helped out at the drive.
“I think (the next drive will) go just as smoothly (as today’s), if not more. I’m just really thankful that we formed this partnership with our community helpers and (that we were able) to provide this service for our students and their families,” Rabb said.
