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Residents get vaccinated at clinics across county

4 min read
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Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter

Donna Dyson, of Washington, receives a COVID-19 vaccine from pharmacist Brooke Sleek, with Curtis Pharmacy, during a vaccination clinic at New Hope Church in Washington.

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Observer-Reporter

In this file photo from January 2021, Joseph Tomaceski, of Washington, receives a COVID-19 vaccine from pharmacist Michelle Swarrow, with Curtis Pharmacy, during a vaccination clinic at New Hope Church in Washington. This month marks the second year of the pandemic.

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Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter

In a file photo from Jan. 27, Karen Bennett receives a COVID-19 vaccine Tfrom Pharmacist Brooke Sleek during a vaccination clinic at New Hope Church in Washington.

She didn’t have a winning Powerball ticket, but Donna Dyson of Washington nonetheless considered herself pretty lucky Tuesday morning.

“I feel like I won the lottery,” said Dyson, who received the COVID-19 vaccine at New Hope Church in Washington, one of three vaccination clinics held Tuesday by Curtis Pharmacy. The other two were at the Masonic Temple in Claysville and New Haven Hose and Pump in Connellsville.

Erich Cushey, owner of Curtis Pharmacy, said the first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine included 800 doses, which were distributed at the clinics Tuesday. He said the pharmacy ordered another 800 doses that they hope to distribute this week, too, but the state has not yet confirmed that shipment.

“We had to buy special freezers for storage,” Cushey said.

He said 6,000 people from across Southwestern Pennsylvania registered for the vaccine on the pharmacy website. Most were within the category for the 1A phase of vaccinations, he said.

Cushey, who’s also a pharmacist, said part of that registration process included an email sent to patients, allowing them to select a time slot for the vaccination. He said some folks who registered for the Claysville site shared that email with their unregistered friends to try to get them a vaccine, too.

“At 10 o’clock last night, I realized we had 80 people signed up that we didn’t have vaccines for,” Cushey said Tuesday morning. “We didn’t realize people would pass it on to their friends.”

Cushey said the email had a “do not share” advisory on it.

“People are circumventing the process, but it’s hard enough,” he said.

The pharmacists and staff, Cushey said, are working extra hours and long days to help vaccinate the community. They’ve also had community members and retired nurses volunteer to help. The Washington County Department of Public Safety also assisted with the clinics.

“Everybody’s really engaged,” Cushey said. “We’re trying to manage this demand as best we can.”

Cushey said the pharmacy had planned to start vaccination clinics for school districts and their staff, but when the state expanded the 1A group to include at-risk individuals and older adults, their plans changed.

“We had to shift our whole plan to make sure these seniors are taken care of quicker,” he said.

The clinics distributed vaccines from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday. At New Hope Church, people waited, spaced out in pews, before being brought into the cafeteria area to receive their vaccinations. Once they received the vaccine, recipients were encouraged to wait 15 minutes to ensure no severe allergic reactions occurred.

Cushey hopes that by week’s end they will have distributed 1,600 doses. He’s also hoping the state will approve a larger order – 2,000 doses – so they can hold a larger clinic at the Washington County fairgrounds.

“If you’re registered, we’re going to do everything we can to get you a vaccine as we get them,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Carroll Township, employees of a Monongahela pharmacy and volunteers worked to vaccinate mostly older adults Tuesday afternoon at a clinic in Valley Inn Volunteer Fire Department Social Hall.

“We’ll do our best,” said Kristopher Marchewka, pharmacy manager at Span & Taylor Drug. Co.

Marchewka said he shut off the waiting list for vaccines last week after the demand exceeded the supply of the Moderna vaccine he received.

His store received 300 doses of the vaccine as did a sister pharmacy in Donora. Marchewka said the businesses have applied for another shipment of the drug.

Staff writer Scott Beveridge contributed to this story.

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