Vaccine on a Bike, Vaccines in Prison Stripes
Folks from All Walks of Life Aided by Local Event That Vaccinated 1,150
On the same spot where people drove through to get tested for COVID at the Fairgrounds almost a year ago, Monday people sat in their cars for 15 minutes making sure they didn’t have any adverse reactions to COVID vaccines.
“It’s kind of neat. Here at the same spot we were at the start of the pandemic, now here we are again, hopefully with the end near,” Fayette County Emergency Management Coordinator Craig Moreau said.
In all, about 1,150 first shots of the Moderna vaccine were distributed to folks from Fayette and Lee counties Monday at the fairgrounds.
About 900 people had signed up for the event in advance. Those that didn’t sign up were not turned away however.
“It’s going extremely well,” Moreau said Monday afternoon.
Monday’s event was designated for those over 50, health care workers, caretakers and those with chronic illnesses.
After 5 p.m. extra vaccines, about 150 in all, were offered to anyone in the general public, and those were quickly taken up as word spread online.
Earlier in the day, nursing homes brought van loads of people. One person came through the drive-through on a bike. Another on a moped.
People were checked in on the roadway leading to the fairgrounds. The shots were administered as people stayed in their cars near the Fair Pavilion and they drove around the back of the grounds to park near the VFW Hall to wait to see if they had any adverse reactions.
Moreau said there were no serious reactions to the shot Monday.
“One person got a little anxious,” Moreau said.
David Kubos, 52, and Fermin Iselt, 66, of Lee County rolled through on a four-wheeler. They were on their way to Bastrop to do surveying work and instead of pulling their truck and trailer through the whole drive-through, they unloaded the four-wheeler.
They were sitting in the 15-minute post-shot waiting area when we caught up with them.
“I feel great,” Kubos said. “A few minutes to fill out the paperwork and less than five minutes to go through.”
Attendees were flying through the vaccine clinic at a swift pace, thanks to an army of volunteers, including the literal Army.
About fifty service members from the Air National Guard and the Army National Guard were helping at the site along with a host of local volunteers including:
• Lot of folks from St. Mark’s Medical Center, led by Krystle Bloodworth.
• Justice of the Peace Kyle Hartmann
• 911 Coordinator Dawn Moore
• Folks from the County Emergency Management Department
• County Judge Joe Weber
• LGPD’s Travis Anderson
• Texas Agrilife Fayette County Division.
• Fayette County EMS
• Fayette County Constable Pct. 1
• Lee County Emergency Management
• Lee County Constable Verne Surman
• Dime Box Volunteer Fire Department
Several local businesses also donated food to feed Monday’s volunteers, including
Breakfast:
Whataburger-Breakfast taquitos and orange juice
Latte on the square-Coffee
Lunch: Subway- Turkey and Ham sandwiches, Chips, Cookies
HEB- Iced tea (sweet and unsweet) and a large fruit platter
The donations fed around 50-60 people between military, first responders, and volunteers. All items were a complete donation with no charge to the county.
Moreau said he and Lee County officials have been working on trying to get a big batch of vaccines like this locally for months.
“We first came up with this plan months ago and we submitted and pushed for it and submitted and pushed for it and I guess finally they got annoyed and said yes,” Moreau said.
“It helps to have two counties working together like this, gives you more pull to get shots here,” said Delynn Peschke, Lee County Emergency Management Coordinator.
Four weeks from Monday, those vaccinated can return to the fairgrounds for their second dose.
Monday’s event will push the number of locally vaccinated even higher. Moreau said 20.1% of Fayette population has already had the first shot of the COVID vaccine.
Moreau said he is now working to try to get a 2,000-3,000 dose event set up now that all ages of folks are eligible for the vaccine.
“Our plans are submitted, we’ll wait and see. It’s all coordinated with Lee County,” Moreau said.
Friday two more vaccine events are scheduled. One in Flatonia and another for homebound folks