Waterbury COVID vaccine clinic closes due to funding loss
By ASHLEY RK SMITH, DENNIS VALERA
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WATERBURY, Connecticutt (WFSB) — Waterbury’s COVID-19 clinic is closing its doors, and the city is revamping their vaccination strategy.
Nicole Morgan is the Program Manager at the Waterbury Community Health Center.
She has been there since day one. “The word wasn’t out, the advertising was just starting, we were seeing maybe 20 patients a day. in the peak of the omicron surge, we were seeing about 190 patients a day, 200 patients a day.”
While the declining demand is a factor, the main reason they are closing in the end of funding.
“It comes from federal, to state, to local. as that trickle down funding reduced and then the need reduced, we had to make conscious decisions based on best interests of the taxpayer,” said Waterbury Emergency Management Director Adam Rinko.
The city will be putting on more pop-up clinics, especially for kids. After seeing the youth drive the city’s numbers during the omicron surge, the city wants to get kids their initial and booster doses. State data shows 16.5% of 5 to 11-year-olds are considered fully vaccinated. For 12-17-year-olds, 54.7% are fully vaccinated, but only around 8% have their booster.
“We’re working with our partners to identify opportunities to go into the schools, vaccinate during the day with the parents’ permission, or vaccinate after school, or go to the rec. centers where kids are doing after school programming already,’ said Waterbury Health Director Aisling McGuckin.
You can get your first dose at the pop-up clinic. They will give you information on where the next clinic will be.
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