The second round of COVID-19 vaccinations started Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Shrine Auditorium.
According to RiverStone Health officials, about 450 people were expected to show up on this first day of second doses for the vaccine. Patients must bring their second dose card as proof that they received their first dose.
Operations during the second vaccine clinic will be similar to the first, according to Jennifer Staton, RiverStone Health preparedness manager, Tuesday afternoon.
“They will come in, register with a consent form, go to a nurse, get their vaccine, wait their 15 minutes and then they will be on their way,” said Staton.
Like the first vaccine clinic, the National Guard partnered with the Unified Health Command to assist in vaccination efforts.
Master Sgt. Neil Keane said that this is a great opportunity for the state of Montana to see that the Guard is a ready and reliable force in supporting the local communities.
“This is being supported by Billings Clinic, RiverStone Health and St. Vincent hospital. These personnel that are normally working in a hospital setting are out here. So, we are able to fill in a lot of the administrative and logistic roles that allow them to get back to care in their facility,” said Keane.
Roxanne Drexler, St. Vincent Health care nurse, said she is happy to see all medical professionals come together to serve the community.
“It’s just fantastic to see nurses from not just one hospital but all different departments, all different places coming together to help our community. We have nurses from adult floors, but we also have nurses that are here working from NICU floors. We have labor delivery nurses; we have pediatric nurses. So, it is really just fantastic that everybody has come together to make sure that we can do what is best for our community,” said Drexler.
The second vaccine clinic at the Shrine will be administering doses Tuesday until the last appointments at 4:30 p.m.
The Unified Health Command is asking that people remain in their vehicle until five minutes before their scheduled appointment.
