DAVENPORT, Iowa — The Scott County Health Department and its partners on Wednesday held a special 65+ COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Davenport NorthPark mall, administering 1,170 doses of the Pfizer vaccine through an extra allocation from the Iowa Departent of Public Health.
"It's surreal, but exciting," said UnityPoint Nurse Clinical Educator Erica Odegaard, who formed part of an assembly line of health care workers drawing vaccine in one corner of the old Sears department store.
"Here we have happy people, they’re excited to get vaccinated. So it’s a different atmosphere, but it’s exciting," Odegaard said.
Nurses could be seen shuttling to and from the table for more vaccine doses, administering them to patients at spaced-out stations along the aisles that once showcased power tools and home appliances.
The Scott County Health Department says this kind of large vaccination clinic is unusual. Most people can expect to get their vaccine from larger health systems in the county including Genesis, UnityPoint Health-Trinity, and Community Health Care. These partners continue to contact their patients to schedule their appointments.
Wednesday's unique appointment-only clinic represents an additional allocation of vaccine for the 65+ community, with the 1,170 spots filled within about 20 minutes.
"I have a very efficient daughter who took care of everything. All I had to do was show up," said retired nurse Sylvia Brook, who received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday.
"But you know what's something interesting? I helped when the polio vaccine came out," Brook said.
The Scott County Health Department says there are still thousands of people eligible in Phase 1B who still have not been vaccinated, but that it would continue to work through its own weekly allocations and those to local pharmacies and other partners.