White County opened its first closed Point of Dispensing for COVID-19 vaccinations this week. While numbers were not as high as officials had planned, the POD did administer 609, Phase 1A+ vaccines. Most of the injections administered Tuesday were first-round doses.
The site was set up at The Bridge Church on Hulsey Road in Cleveland. A team of about 60 personnel from public health, public safety, White County Schools, as well as community volunteers and partners supported the effort. The POD was set up as part of the county’s longstanding pandemic response plan.
“Every other year we update our plan in hopes that we never have to utilize it,” said White County Commission Chair Travis Turner during a press conference Tuesday. “Now that we have had to utilize it, it makes you appreciate [having] a plan in place, something we can rely upon to give us some sort of guidance in these situations like we are dealing with.”
Wednesday, health department staff and personnel with the White County Emergency Management Agency and CERT program administered an estimated 175 vaccines. They plan to administer approximately 85 second doses on Thursday, completing POD operations for this week.
Many who took advantage of the program were pleased with how it worked, reports WRWH News. “This was incredibly organized and I wished they could spread this example of the way they are doing this to a lot of other sites,” Peggy Sikes told the local radio station.
Beginning next Monday, March 1, the White County Health Department will begin administering all of its vaccines at The Bridge Church in Cleveland. The health department’s goal is to administer 200 doses per day as supplies allow.
The Bridge POD will operate from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. This is not a drop-in site; appointments are required. To make an appointment call the White County Health Department at 706-865-2191. Health officials ask that you please be patient. If they don’t immediately answer, leave a message and they will get back to you.
WRWH News contributed to this report
