Testing, vaccines continue in Waterbury as COVID-19 cases drop
June 18, 2021 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Waterbury Ambulance Service takes COVID-19 vaccines to the farmers market in downtown Waterbury this week. Photo courtesy Waterbury Farmers Market.
COVID-19 testing and vaccinations continue in Waterbury as cases in Vermont slow and the statewide vaccination rate continues to climb.
As of Friday’s Department of Health data, 83.5% of eligible Vermonters had received at least one vaccine dose. Vermont became the first state in the nation at the start of the week to hit the 80% milestone and as a result Gov. Phil Scott dropped all remaining public health restrictions regarding the virus.
Children under age 12 are still not eligible for the vaccine and current public health guidance advises for them to wear masks when indoors with those they don’t live with.
In interviews this week, Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine encouraged those who have not yet gotten fully vaccinated to do so – and the sooner the better.
“I trust the vaccine, but not the virus,” he said. Levine specifically noted that in other parts of the world where the virus is spreading and immunizations are low, the virus has an opportunity to mutate and can threaten the health of people in Vermont who are not vaccinated.
Levine pointed to growing cases of the Delta variant of the virus, first identified in India. It now accounts for about 10% of cases in the U.S. and more than 90% of new cases in the United Kingdom and it is looking to be far more contagious and potentially more dangerous than the more common strains still circulating.
So far, the state Health Department has identified three cases of this variant in Vermont.
Health Department sources say that serious illness and hospitalizations are on the rise among the unvaccinated. Vermonters still looking to get immunized have a myriad of opportunities with walk-in clinics scheduled daily across the state, no appointments necessary.
To find out more information about the vaccine and look for a convenient vaccine clinic, visit online at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine. Virtually every pharmacy in the state is offering the vaccines for free as well.
Waterbury’s testing, vaccine schedule
Waterbury Ambulance Service continues its work to offer drive-up daily COVID-19 testing at its station at 1727 Guptil Road and weekend vaccines. Other single-day vaccine clinics are being added often, ambulance service officials said. The best way to find those opportunities is through the Health Department vaccine clinic portal.
Waterbury Ambulance has done vaccine clinics at the Waterbury Farmers Market for the past two weeks. Executive Director Mark Podgwaite said they would evaluate the response to decide whether to continue those.
Testing and vaccine hours for June 21-27 are as follows:
Testing at Waterbury Ambulance station, 1727 Guptil Road in Waterbury Center: Monday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, 1-5 p.m.; Wednesday 4-7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon.
Single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are available on Saturdays and Sundays for individuals 18 and older.
Waterbury Ambulance is also offering testing and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Waitsfield United Church of Christ 4355 Main St. Waitsfield.
Its drive-through site in Berlin is behind Burger King at 1311 Barre-Montpelier Road. Testing hours there are Monday, Thursday, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday, 4-7 p.m. Johnson & Johnson vaccines are offered on Saturday and Sunday also.
Video campaign shares reasons for getting a vaccine
State health officials are encouraging the thousands of Vermonters already immunized to talk to each other about their reasons for getting the shot. A new series of videos produced by the Health Department does just that. The department has launched a new ad campaign featuring Vermonters who went to walk-in clinics and agreed to share their reasons for getting vaccinated. Many in the videos say they weren’t sure about getting the vaccine at first and they talk about how they resolved their concerns or doubts to decide to get the shot. You can watch the clips here.
Other videos on the department’s YouTube channel show Vermonters sharing what they look forward to after getting vaccinated; in several Dr. Levine discussed vaccine safety and effectiveness.
The state Department of Health website has dashboards for both COVID-19 case data and vaccine data. The most recent community breakdowns show just one new case in Waterbury in the past two weeks that ended June 16. The entire state had just 3 new cases reported Friday.