CHENEY — Eastern Washington University paired with Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) and the Washington State National Guard to offer a vaccination clinic on campus May, 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The clinic was able to see a few hundred students and community members.
The event was held in EWU’s Pence Union Building, in the main event room named the Nysether Community Room. There were tables lining the room divider, each with two or three National Guard members.
The National Guard members were part of a team focused on vaccine accessibility and distribution. One of the members, Eneira Alcaide from Sunnyside, has been travelling around the Eastern Washington area since the team began in March. She said that since the start, she’s been able to administer thousands of vaccines.
“Our mission is to serve both community and country,” Alcaide said. “And that’s what we’re here to do.”
Each table was stocked with Pfizer vaccination equipment, candy, themed band-aids and hand sanitizer. After receiving their vaccination, people were pointed to a seating area near the projector, which was showcasing the time. If the individual had no history with vaccine allergies (or similar allergies), they were asked to wait 15 minutes for monitoring. If the individual did have a history with vaccine or related allergies, they were asked to wait 30 minutes for monitoring.
According to SRHD’s Audra Marshall, the event saw the most people in the first couple hours. It slowed down steadily after that, with another pickup within the last few hours.
However, Marshall said that SRHD was not focused on maximum vaccination, but rather the accessibility of the event. Since the city of Cheney and Spokane County both are reporting consistent vaccination rates, the focus of clinics now is to round out those numbers with consistent accessible options.
There will be another clinic at EWU on May 25, also open to students and community members for their first or second shot.
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