Administration of Covid 19 Vaccines - A Personal Story of a Community That Acted

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Now that the Covid Pandemic seems to be winding down, it is time to recognize some of our heroes. I am especially proud of the actions taken by members of my community – Sun City Anthem in Henderson, Nevada. This is an active age 55 plus senior community of 7,144 homes. Due to our average age, the community members were especially vulnerable to the Covid virus. I am one of the thousands of senior citizens who received the vaccines thanks to my neighbors.

Fortunately, our community is well organized with numerous committees and clubs. In this case, the Emergency Preparedness Committee took the lead in organizing a response to the Covid Pandemic. A Covid 19 Task Force was organized – the only known private model of this kind in the country.

Organization needed

It was obvious that a great deal of organization would be needed to effectively disperse vaccines when they were finally available. So a Covid 19 information web site was developed. It contained basic health information to keep residents safe during the dark days of the pandemic. In anticipation of vaccine availability, the group arranged for flu shots and Covid 19 testing with local health authorities.

Once Covid vaccines became available, the SCA Covid Task Force was ready. The group worked closely with the City of Henderson and Southern Nevada Health District to administer vaccines.

Socially distanced people with reservations waited their turn to register

Reservations were mandatory to avoid overcrowding and temperatures were checked prior to entry into the building. With the service of Community Ambulance Service, the Henderson Fire Department, and Henderson Parks and Recreation staff all working together with the Sun City Anthem volunteers, this project was a huge success.

More that 32,000 vaccinations were dispensed at Anthem Center, our primary recreation building.. That’s 16,000 folks who received the vaccines. Our success was due to the over 350 volunteers who stepped up to help in the logistics of dispensing vaccines.

In recognition of their efforts, the Sun City Anthem COVID-19 Task Force was nominated for the Governor’s Points of Light Award and awarded a commendation from the City of Henderson.

A celebratory lunch was held in May for the volunteers