West Tennessee Heathcare vaccinates phase 1c residents

JACKSON, Tenn. — West Tennessee Healthcare held a vaccination drive for those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We received another tray from the state, and so we are giving out the Pfizer tray to anybody over the age of 16 that is high-risk in the West Tennessee area,” said Employee Health Manager Allison Wright Donahoe. “We put out a press alert and told everybody to sign up online and they did that. We filled those spots very quickly over the weekend.”

Donahoe says West Tennessee Healthcare was given 1,400 Pfizer doses from the state, but the number of those who signed up exceeded that.

“We actually have a waiting list as well, so if we get extra doses at the end of the night and somebody doesn’t show up for an appointment, we can call those people quickly and when they get here we can get that dose for them,” Donahoe said.

Donahoe says it’s a good feeling to be able to provide this opportunity to the public.

“I’m not clinical, so this is something I can do to help stop the spread here at West Tennessee Healthcare and in our communities,” Donahoe said. “So any little thing that we can do is exciting.”

Leaders with West Tennessee Healthcare say they have given over 11,000 vaccinations since December, and Donahoe says it doesn’t stop there.

“We did have a community event that we held two weekends ago. We would love to continue that service as well, going out in three or four different areas and vaccinating many people there as well,” she said.

If you weren’t able to get an appointment for the vaccination clinic, do not worry.

Donahoe says as long as they’re getting vaccine from the state, they will host more events like this one.