FARMINGTON, Utah — Davis County health officials are trying to make getting the COVID-19 vaccine as simple as possible.
The health department has set up a drive-thru mass vaccination clinic at the Legacy Events Center.
According to Brian Hatch, director of the Davis County Health Department, the setup allows 28 cars to pass through every five minutes, meaning 2,000 people can receive the vaccine in a 6-hour shift.
“We are trying to be as efficient as we can,” Hatch said. “Drive in and drive through and out the door.”
The county is using its experience managing the H1N1 vaccine in 2009 as a blueprint for this setup.
“A lot of this originated back in H1N1,” Hatch said. “We had a mass vaccination clinic for swine flu.”
Right now, the COVID-19 vaccine is available to people who work in health care. First responders and those who work in education are next in line to get the shot.
When residents of the county are eligible, they can register online on the county's website to receive a time slot to arrive at the makeshift clinic.
READ: Essential workers to be removed from Utah vaccine plan as focus turns to age, risk
It is staffed by county employees and some nurses and staff from the Davis School District.
“I call it liquid gold,” said Kristy Cottrell, the deputy director of the Davis County Health Department. “I am really excited we have this vaccine available in our community right now.”
Due to its large space, the county plans to use the Legacy Events Center site through the winter and spring as the vaccine becomes available to the public.
The county has enough doses to vaccinate up to 5,000 more health care workers here by the end of next week. The clinic will be open by appointment only on Wednesday and Friday.
Every car that passes through brings the community a bit closer to normalcy.
“It’s nice to see the excitement as people are coming in,” Hatch said. “They are grateful. We are glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Davis County urges those who work in any type of healthcare, including offices outside of hospitals, to sign up for an appointment to get the vaccine before it’s available to the next group on the priority list.