West TN Healthcare offers COVID-19 vaccination clinics
JACKSON, Tenn. —Those 65-years-old and older and in phases 1a1, 1a2, or 1b were able to get vaccinated today in West Tennessee Healthcare’s pop up event.
Lane college is one location out of three vaccination clinics held today after West Tennessee Healthcare received Pfizer doses from the state last week.
“We’re at Humboldt Conference Center, Lane College and down at UT Martin in Selmer,” said Chief Physician Executive at West TN Healthcare, Jackie Taylor.
“We are so excited to be able to have vaccines to administer to all the communities across West Tennessee and really open that up to the region we serve,” said Chief Operating Officer at West TN Healthcare, Tina Prescott.
Prescott says West Tennessee Healthcare received 1,486 doses and for Lane College alone, there were 628 appointments made prior.
She says health officials hoped this event would encourage those in the East Jackson community to get vaccinated.
‘We do think it’s important to bring the vaccine to the communities we serve. And in this community we wanted to make sure that we don’t have any hesitancy about taking this vaccine,” Prescott said.
“This is an area of town that may not get access to healthcare. We wanted to provide it for them,” Taylor said.
West Tennessee Healthcare staff are thankful to be able to contribute to stopping the virus.
“It’s one more tool to help combat this virus that we all are tired of fighting, but we continue to fight each day,” Prescott said.
Prescott says she’s thankful for the work the community has put into keeping COVID numbers down and hospitalizations down.
“You’ve made a difference in the fight against this virus and we appreciate that as the health system,” Prescott said.
There were a ton of people who showed up to the event today.
And health officials say any vaccine that was not used will not go to waste, it will be given to those on the Rapid Response List.
Those who received their vaccinations today will return to the same locations on March 20 to receive their second dose.
