St. Clair County in need of volunteer vaccinators for COVID-19 clinics – The Times Herald

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Registerd nurse Sarah Dent, left, administers a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to Alex Turkopp during a clinic Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at Knight Club in Marysville.(Photo: Brian Wells/Times Herald)

Sarah Dent said volunteering for St. Clair Countys growing COVID-19 vaccine effort was her best chance to contribute to the cause in her own community.

Normally a nurse at the Jerry Orthopedic Institute in Port Huron, Dent was one of a couple of volunteers on the floor of an emptied Marysville banquet hall last Wednesday for a clinic thatwas aimed to accommodate 3,000 vaccine recipients.

The county health department has been advertising its need for volunteer vaccinators like Dentamid the ongoing spike in the transmission of the virus.

The majority of people that are coming in are excited about it and thankful. Weve been thanked so much for being here and helping, which really makes it that much more worth it, said Dent, who was fully vaccinated on March 10.

Were only so much of a percentage vaccinated in the county, and our numbers are going up, she said. So, us getting the word out that getting these can help prevent the spread and future issues because there are a lot, a lot of long-term neurological deficits that happen from contracting COVID that many people dont know about yet. So, getting it is very important.

Health educator and health department spokeswoman Alyse Nichols said there were about 30 vaccinators overall on the floor of the Marysville clinic.

Dr. Annette Mercatante, the countys medical health officer, said the need for nurse vaccinators depended on the size of the clinic and the number of clinics held each week.

Currently, there are approximately 10 volunteer vaccinators who regularly work our clinics and another 10 who work intermittently when their schedules allow. Many have limited availability as they are also working professionals, she said in an email. Ultimately, we are trying to build a solid pool of nurse vaccinators to pull from and encourage anyone interested in registering.

In addition to making sure clinics had an ample supply of nursing volunteers, Mark White, the countys deputy director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said they were also looking for people to help in support positions to help people navigate the vaccine process.

We need everybody. But having somebody be a vaccinator, thats a very specific skill. And during this time, its not just St. Clair County, everybody needs vaccinators? They are in hot supply, Nichols said. If people are interested, please go on (online) and volunteer.

The county was encouraging all prospective volunteers to sign up at mivolunteerregistry.org. Other duties included temperature screenings, registration, and line management.

Team Rubicon volunteer Joey Munoz, of Emmett, directs incoming vehicles at the St. Clair Health Department's COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in Marysville.(Photo: Jackie Smith/Times Herald)

Another team of volunteers through the nonprofit Team Rubicon was helping outside the clinic last Wednesday.

Were kind of building the playbook as we go along, said Rubicon volunteer Joey Munoz, who lives in Emmett. This is new to us, so were filling in the gaps. Like for here, what were doing is traffic control and patient transportation to get them in the door a little quicker.

Munoz said the nonprofits volunteers are typically asked to come in and assist by local emergency managers. Compromised of military veterans, first responders and civilians, the group typically responds to a broad spectrum of disasters or emergencies like hurricanes or floods

I want to get back to normal life, Munoz said, and this is a way.

Contact Jackie Smith at jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

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St. Clair County in need of volunteer vaccinators for COVID-19 clinics - The Times Herald