Trending
A recent chance encounter at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Saint Francis University has led to plans for weekly mass vaccination clinics at the Jaffa Shrine Center.
The initial clinic is scheduled for Tuesday.
Jaffa facility and sales coordinator Heather Chestney was leaving Saint Francis after getting a shot at one of the recurring clinics held there by Mainline Pharmacy of Ebensburg, when pharmacy owner Jerry Moschgat noticed the Shrine logo on her jacket, gave her his card and suggested she call him to set up a vaccination site at the Jaffa, Chestney said Tuesday.
Moschgat's request meshed with discussions Chestney had had recently with Jaffa leadership about the desirability of a clinic in Blair County, given that people here have been traveling to various other counties for shots, Chestney said.
The first Jaffa clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, she said.
"We plan on having at least one every week (at the Jaffa) for the foreseeable future," said Steve Pope, Mainline's director of sales and marketing. "We may (even) try to get to two a week."
The company has 21 clinics currently scheduled in a total of nine locations in Cambria, Westmoreland, Somerset and now Blair counties, according to the pharmacy's website.
Mainline has been operating clinics since late January, expanding their scope as the weeks go by -- more clinic locations, more people per clinic, more clinics per week, according to Pope.
Now the company is operating six to eight clinics weekly, 1,000 to 2,000 people per clinic, Pope said.
The company hopes to reach 10 clinics per week, he said.
"We're a small, independent pharmacy," Pope said, "filling a void."
Other pharmacies are vaccinating in their stores, which is "fantastic," Pope said.
But they can only give shots to 30 or 40 people a day in those settings, he said.
"That's why (Mainline) ownership got very aggressive," he said.
Appointments are necessary, and they're available through the pharmacy's website, www.mainline pharmacy.com.
The appointment window on the website lists a slot per minute during clinic hours.
Patients need to download, print and fill out a consent form, then bring the form to the clinic -- although the company can provide forms at the vaccination sites for those without access to a printer.
People who can't make an appointment online for lack of computer access or expertise can call a Mainline store for help, according to Pope, although the company's website discourages such calls, as they can overwhelm store personnel.
People will enter the parking lot of the Jaffa off Broad Avenue and be directed where to park, according to Chestney.
They'll go into the building through the accessible entrance on the side closest to 23rd Street, according to information provided by Chestney.
The vaccinations will take place in the auditorium on the main floor of the building.
People will go through a registration line, set up an appointment for a second shot, get vaccinated, then wait 15 minutes to ensure there are no reactions.
It generally takes 30 to 40 minutes from beginning to end, Pope said.
The company will be injecting the Moderna vaccine at the Jaffa on Tuesday.
Twenty to 25 volunteers -- working through the pharmacy and through the venue -- help staff the clinics, Pope said.
Clinic operations have been increasingly smooth, except for crowding one recent day at Saint Francis, when many people came too early, according to Pope.
At one point, among 80 people in line, half were there an hour before their appointment times, Pope said.
Since then, the company has screened people on arrival to ensure they comply with the appointment instructions not to arrive more than 15 minutes before their appointment times, Pope said.
The company's appointment reminders are emphatic:
"DO NOT arrive more than 15 minutes early. ... If you arrive too early, you will be asked to leave and return at your appointment time. ... Arriving early increases wait times for everyone, jeopardizes everyone's safety, and disrupts the flow of the clinic."
"We're just trying to be part of the community," Pope said.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.