Despite short notice, fire chief says Rio Vista vaccine event a success
(Image courtesy Rio Vista Fire Department)
Officials from the Solano County Public Health Office provided COVID-19 vaccines to more than 1,500 residents in Rio Vista last week, according to a statement from the town’s fire department chief.
The event was carried out on short notice after county officials introduced the idea less than a week before it took place.
“The details were not fully firmed up until the following Tuesday, making this a very short-noticed event to organize,” Jeff Armstrong, Rio Vista’s fire chief, said in a social media post. “Yet we did it!”
Armstrong appeared to be responding to criticism on the website Nextdoor, on Facebook and elsewhere that some elderly citizens of Rio Vista who were eligible for the vaccine weren’t aware it was taking place. Some said they didn’t have access to social media, while others said the short turnaround time for the event gave them little opportunity to attend.
That said, officials were able to provide an intial vaccine to 1,583 people during the event held last Thursday. Many of those vaccinated were able to receive a follow-up appointment for their second dose, which is required in order to be fully innoculated from the novel coronavirus.
“We anticipate future events will be just as successful, and we will continue to work with [county officials] to provide more vaccines to our community,” Armstrong said. “We will also be reviewing ‘lessons learned’ and working to diversify future locations and other ways to get the message out regarding future events.”
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