What to Expect at a Health Department Vaccine Clinic
As more St. Clair County residents are receiving COVID-19 vaccine appointments, people may be curious about what to expect on vaccine day. The bottom line, the St. Clair County Health Department is working hard to provide a safe, comfortable, and efficient vaccine day for residents, and it will only take around an hour of your time.
If you are registered with the Health Department for a vaccine appointment, your first notification will be by phone, email, or text notifying you of eligibility to get your vaccine. You must respond to the notification within one hour to secure your appointment.
Currently, the Health Department is vaccinating at the Knight Club in Marysville, which is located directly across the street from Market Place Square and Alexander’s Premier Banquet facility. Parking lot attendants are directing traffic upon entry to the Knight Club, and there are signs showing where to park.
The lines will likely be long, (Wednesday evening they wrapped around the outside of the building) so expect a 25-35 minute wait to get inside. Attendants are checking on people in outdoor lines in case assistance is required for those who can’t stand for long periods.
Once inside the Knight Club, patients are separated by last name, and a temperature check is performed. After passing the temperature check, you will enter the ballroom of the Club where around 20 tables are set up as vaccine stations.
A Health Department volunteer will stop you at a registration table and confirm your name and appointment time. You will also receive a document outlining information and frequently asked questions about the vaccine along with a health questionnaire.
Next, you will enter the line for the actual vaccine which moves fairly quickly. The Health Department volunteer will advise you to review the questionnaire and remove jackets or sweaters covering your upper arm. As you wait, you may be visited by a therapy dog and its handler, which may help with last minute jitters.
There are 1-2 nurses at each vaccine station, and when it is your turn, an attendant will direct you to a specific table. Once you sit down, a nurse will verify your name and birth date and fill out your vaccine card. Your vaccine card includes the date for your second dose if necessary. Then, they will go over the health questionnaire. If everything is acceptable, you will be given your vaccine and directed to the waiting area.
The waiting area is set up on the other side of the ballroom with chairs that are physically distanced from one another. Most people will be advised to wait 15 minutes after their vaccine, but those who have had past anaphylactic reactions and other conditions may be advised to wait 30. Health Department volunteers and therapy dogs and their handlers make their way around the waiting area to check on people.
Once your advised waiting period is over, you can leave out the side door of the ballroom and head to your car. Any adverse reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine can be reported to your primary care physician or by using the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), an online reporting system available <HERE>.
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
