Answering The Call: Georgetown Coordinates COVID-19 High-Capacity Vaccination Site

Georgetown DC

10 March, 2021

10:55 AM

Description

Press release from Georgetown University: March 4, 2021 Georgetown is partnering with the DC government to vaccinate as many District residents as quickly as possible. The university is coordinating one of DC's new high-capacity vaccination sites and recruiting dozens of clinical volunteers – including medical and nursing students – to administer the life-saving shots. The DC government is solely responsible for determining who is eligible to receive a vaccine and scheduling appointments for these sites. More information is available at its website. The vaccination site being supported by Georgetown will be at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Southeast DC on March 13 and March 14, and will allow more than 1,500 people to be vaccinated in that single weekend. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced March 4 that Georgetown would be a community partner in helping administer COVID19 vaccinations in the city. "Equitable and fast vaccine distribution is a national priority, and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve our city and our nation by supporting vaccination efforts for the residents of Washington, DC," says Georgetown President John J. DeGioia. Vaccination Collaboration Since December, the university and leaders from DC's Department of Health have discussed ways to collaborate on the vaccine rollout. On Feb. 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the single-dose vaccine manufactured by Janssen, a part of Johnson & Johnson. Merck announced on March 2 that it would help Johnson & Johnson produce the vaccine to significantly increase supply. Vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna have been available under EUA since December. The addition of a third vaccine has expanded the national supply of vaccines and increased the need for more distribution sites. Georgetown medical and nursing students are answering the call for volunteers to administer the vaccines. Already this year, more than 150 trained clinical learners have stepped up to help the university's clinical partner, MedStar Health, with its vaccination rollout. A Volunteer Effort Stephen Kane (M'21) and Elizabeth Douglass (G'21) are among the Georgetown students who have contributed to slowing the spread of the coronavirus throughout this pandemic. Students have volunteered "to get PPE for other front-line workers, for [MedStar Health's] telehealth initiative [and] to get people testing," Kane said. "[Vaccinating patients] seemed like the next kind of iteration of that. And I was happy to get involved with it." Medical student Stephen Kane (M'21), left, and clinical nurse leader student Elizabeth Douglass (G'21) prep COVID-19 vaccine doses. (Photos courtesy MedStar Health) Douglass (G'21), a student in the clinical nurse leader program, said she was glad to put her skills to use and serve the community. "We practice these skills in the clinical setting and are capable of providing much-needed services," she said. "Not only can introducing students into this setting help alleviate short-staffing but by working as vaccinators, we gain valuable clinical experience." (Learn more about the students' work.) This time, clinical students will be joined in the university-led operation by staff, faculty, and undergraduate volunteers, as well as MedStar Health clinicians. Coming Together "This is a moment that requires all of us to come together to advance the health of our communities, and I wish to thank all of our volunteers, our students, our faculty, and our partners at MedStar Health for their commitment to public health," says DeGioia. In the latest edition of "Georgetown This Week," President DeGioia discusses the safety and benefits of getting any of the authorized vaccines with Dr. Jesse Goodman, director of the University's Center on Medical Product Access, Safety and Stewardship (COMPASS). Dr. Goodman previously served as chief scientist for the FDA. This press release was produced by Georgetown University.The views expressed here are the author's own.