This year, the world has been focused on fighting the spread of COVID-19, but as the cold weather returns so does flu season — forcing society to battle two fronts in 2020.
Evans Army Community Hospital and Fort Carson Public Health organized a flu vaccine event at Robinson Clinic for DOD civilians and TRICARE beneficiaries age 3 and up from Dec. 3-5, 2020, and 10-12.
The flu vaccine event was scheduled for different times on both weekdays and weekends to give the community several convenient times to receive their flu vaccine on Fort Carson.
“We were offering Saturdays because it has traditionally been the best available day since it hosts the longest hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” said Master Sgt. Peter Sutherland, NCOIC of the event. “This gave the Fort Carson, Colorado, community several opportunities to get their flu vaccination when it best fit into their daily life schedules.”
EACH also used social media to conduct a poll with beneficiaries. The results determined that evenings and weekends were most favorable.
The Defense Health Agency announced that rolling shipments of the flu vaccine would arrive at medical treatment facilities later than expected this year due to COVID-19.
Tentative dates for the flu vaccine event were scheduled for December, but beneficiaries were encouraged to seek TRICARE-approved network pharmacies off post if they wished to receive the flu vaccine earlier.
Maj. Charishlyn Weintraub, deputy chief of Army Public Health Nursing and officer in charge of the flu vaccine event, commended others for their help in organizing the event.
“This was spearheaded by Public Health with much assistance and collaboration with Master Sgt. Sutherland … and EACH departments from Logistics, Operations, Troop Command and medics, nurses and doctors from clinics and inpatient assisting as well,” said Weintraub. “We also worked in collaboration with 4th Infantry Division and some help from 627th Hospital Center.”
In previous years, the method to receive the flu vaccine at Fort Carson was structured as a walk-in flu clinic, but COVID-19 has required leaders to redevelop the plan for 2020 to maximize social distancing.
“In light of COVID-19, we adjusted the patient flow system to replace the traditional waiting room with having all beneficiaries remain in their vehicle until called upon by the lead clinic personnel,” said Sutherland.
Patients checked in with medical personnel upon their arrival to Robinson Clinic and were asked to wait in their vehicles until instructed to enter the clinic. All staff and patients were required to always wear their masks.
The flu vaccine event staff conducted temperature checks on each patient before they entered the building. Flu vaccines were administered in separate exam rooms and rooms were cleaned between vaccination sessions.
“Everybody was masked, they took our temperature and there wasn’t too many of us in any location at one time,” said Nikki Thebeau, whose husband is assigned to the 1st Space Battalion.
Thebeau noticed several dates and times offered for the flu vaccine event on the EACH Facebook page. She chose to attend Dec. 4, 2020, since she would already be on post that evening with her two children to help at the Mountain Post Santa’s Workshop.
“This was more convenient, and we could get all three of us done at once,” said Thebeau. “We weren’t even sitting in the car long enough to fill out my name on the paperwork they provided us when we were called in.”
Monogrammed masks, pens and pocket tissue packs were provided by Fort Carson Public Health to those who received their flu vaccination. Thebeau’s two children, Jonathan and Isabel, picked out some free goodies at the end of their visit.
When asked what their favorite part of the event was, Thebeau expected her children to mention the free prizes at the end, but Jonathan said his favorite part was when he got the flu shot because it kept him safe.
The last day of the flu vaccine event was Dec. 12, 2020. Those still looking to get a flu shot can locate a TRICARE-approved network pharmacy off post by visiting https://www.tricare.mil/flu or calling 877-363-1303.
| Date Taken: | 12.04.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.18.2021 17:12 |
| Story ID: | 403481 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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