HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Basketball season may be over, but there will be a crowd and thousands of shots inside BB&T Arena this weekend thanks to a COVID-19 vaccine clinic
What You Need To Know
- Almost 4,000 people will get their second COVID-19 vaccine dose in Northern Kentucky this weekend
- St. Elizabeth healthcare workers will administer the shots at the BB&T Arena
- They averaged about 285 patients an hour for the first clinic
- Officials have seen a wide age range of Kentuckians seeking the vaccine
Nearly 4,000 people will return to Northern Kentucky University for their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine three weeks after their first go-around.
All of the extra space makes the arena an ideal location for St. Elizabeth healthcare workers to try to turn the tide against the pandemic.
“Most of the vaccine sites, that is the main limitation, is the space to hold patients for that 15 minutes of observation,” said Erica Neff, manager of ambulatory care pharmacy for St. Elizabeth. “We did a little over 3,800 vaccines for the first dose clinic.”
They averaged about 285 patients an hour for the first clinic. Neff said it’s been rewarding work.
“I think most people’s hesitation when it comes to vaccination is just that there’s still a lot we don’t know. There might be some individual considerations based on their health or medical conditions or allergies,” she said. “I think the light at the end of the tunnel is that we know that for some patients the risks of covid infection greatly outweigh the risks of side effects from a vaccine. So we’re actually seeing a pretty good uptick of patients that are taking it.”
Now that all Kentuckians 16 and older are eligible for the vaccine, Neff said she’s seeing a wide age range of people getting vaccinated. Patients should be able to get in and out within 20 minutes.
For St. Elizabeth patients seeking their first dose, Neff said to check MyChart regularly. She said when appointments are opened up, they go quickly.