Photo By Master Sgt. Tamara Dabney | Connecticut Army National Guard medics attend vaccination skills validation at...... read more read more
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Connecticut National Guard medics attended vaccination administration training at the Fairfield Regional Fire School in preparation to support COVID-19 vaccination sites in Connecticut. The training was administered by Fairfield Emergency Medical Services personnel.
Since January, Soldiers and Airmen have provided non-medical support at COVID-19 vaccination sites operated by federally qualified healthcare centers and local health care facilities. If authorized by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, members of the Guard who are trained medical personnel may be tasked with administering the vaccine.
Guard medics who attended the training have been activated under Title 32 US Code 502 (f). Officials hope that Guard support at the vaccination sites will contribute to the goal of meeting the increased demand for vaccinations in the state.
“The medics in the state who are on 502 (f) orders are here to be evaluated on vaccine administration so they can help out the DPH,” said Sergeant 1st Class Jasmin Kissane, a Joint Force Health Protection medic. “I think it's great.”
Specialist Erik Johnson, a medic assigned to the 142nd Area Support Medical Company, was first activated in support of the COVID-19 response in April 2020 when the Guard’s primary focus was PPE distribution. The PPE distribution is currently ongoing. However, Johnson and dozens of his fellow medics have been re-tasked to support vaccination sites.
“The commodities warehouse is still maintaining its position, distributing PPE to hospitals, nursing homes and various municipalities,” said Johnson. “Now the medics are being prepared for if we need to give vaccinations.”
After completing their initial training, Army and Air Force medics are required to earn medical Continuing Education Units (CEUs) annually. The training session in Fairfield served to validate vaccination skills that the medics previously attained through the military.
“All medics go through vaccine administration when they're in school to become medics, so they are all well-versed in vaccine administration,” said Kissane. “This is good information on what to expect from the vaccine, how to prepare, and of course, it’s always helpful to have a refresher.”
Johnson agreed that training with other experienced medics was helpful.
“In the National Guard I have had a very good amount of medical experience and this [the training] is very helpful, and we have more experienced medics here to guide us as well,” said Johnson. “It's not every day that we get to do vaccination training.”
Kissane is proud to support Connecticut’s COVID-19 response and hopes that the Guard’s support will lead to higher vaccination rates.
“This is the highlight of my Guard career right now, being a part of the COVID vaccine administration,” said Kissane. “Hopefully, we can help reduce the spread of the pandemic and eradicate this pandemic in the future.”
| Date Taken: | 02.24.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.24.2021 16:20 |
| Story ID: | 389754 |
| Location: | FAIRFIELD, CT, US |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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