Photo By Staff Sgt. Edward Michon | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ian Miller and Master Sgt. Matthew Stickley, aerospace...... read more read more
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Approximately 60 Airmen from the 167th Airlift Wing continue supporting COVID-19 relief efforts throughout West Virginia, remaining a key component in the fight against the pandemic.
Since the start of the pandemic, the 167th Airmen joined West Virginia National Guard members supporting multiple targeted task forces whose mission sets have evolved as response needs have changed.
Task Force Medical-East has shifted its focus from COVID-19 testing to administering the vaccine at vaccine clinics in the region.
The epidemiology team of Task Force Medical, who was originally tasked with contact tracing, is now also providing administrative support at the vaccine clinics.
“My folks did a great job of adjusting to the change in mission,” said Maj. Blake Bennett, officer in charge of the epidemiology team.
Bennett’s team, along with other task forces, are now assisting in a drive-thru mass vaccination site at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. This clinic, open every Tuesday and Thursday, is replacing previous smaller clinics throughout the panhandle.
167th Airman are also supporting Task Force Vaccines at Distribution Hub 5 in Berkeley County. This team has distributed approximately 140,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine since its inception in December of 2020, according to Maj. Terrence Etuk, officer in charge of Distribution Hub 5.
Etuk’s team is also distributing the vaccines given during vaccine clinics at the 167th, such as the one hosted in the base dining facility by members of Task Force Medical-East on Sunday, Apr. 11 during April’s unit training assembly.
By the conclusion of April’s UTA, over one-third of wing members have been voluntarily vaccinated.
According to the Center of Disease Control, the most effective way to control the virus is to build herd immunity through vaccination, thus Airmen are encouraged to get vaccinated.
“Today is an important day for you to make decisions for your health, for your family, for others, the nation, the economy,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Kevin Culbert, 167th Medical Group commander. “And it really hinges upon the vaccine that we are lucky enough to be able to provide to our forces.”
Culbert also attributes the effectiveness of the vaccine as another reason to get vaccinated, stating that its 95% effectiveness rate was very high.
“This is the real thing,” said Culbert. “We have never had vaccines of any sort with that high effectiveness.”
167th AW Airmen who have not yet been vaccinated, but want to be, should contact the 167th Medical Group to request a vaccine.
| Date Taken: | 04.16.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.16.2021 08:36 |
| Story ID: | 394020 |
| Location: | MARTINSBURG, WV, US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 167th Airmen Remain Force Multipliers in Fight Against COVID-19, by SSgt Edward Michon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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