Mount Sinai South Nassau and the Town of Hempstead have partnered to establish a Covid-19 vaccination bus that will travel to various locations within the community to administer the vaccine.
The “vaxmobile” launched on Wednesday at the Uniondale-Hempstead Senior Center, where healthcare workers from the Oceanside hospital inoculated 100 residents with doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“This is truly a historic day in the Town of Hempstead,” Town of Hempstead Supervisor Don Clavin said in a statement. “The Covid-19 vaccine is imperative in helping us prevent the spread of this virus, keeping our residents safe and returning to a sense of normalcy.”
The traveling vaccination site will help to remove barriers to getting the vaccine, such as transportation, language, and technology. The bus is staffed with bilingual health professionals, is handicap accessible, and will travel to convenient locations in local communities, such as libraries, places of worship, senior and recreation centers, train stations, and parks.
Mount Sinai South Nassau tested the mobile setting over the past two weeks by vaccinating 400 people with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The interior of the unit includes a private exam room, computerized clinical workstations, medical testing and lab technologies, and secure storage areas. Hospital staff is on-hand and available should any rare complications arise from a vaccination.
“We are proud to partner with the Town of Hempstead on this important service that allows us to bring the J&J vaccine directly to residents and communities within the Town of Hempstead that are at high risk of exposure to the virus and have been hard hit by the pandemic,” said Dr. Adhi Sharma, Chief Medical Officer at Mount Sinai South Nassau. “Please, don’t wait. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.”
Town of Hempstead paid for the “vaxmobile” with nearly $700,000 of its $133 million CARES Act funding from the federal government.
Organizations that would like to schedule a visit for residents of their community can call (516) 812-3678 or email VaxMobile@snch.org.
For more coronavirus coverage, visit longislandpress.com/coronavirus.
