Drive up and then roll up your sleeves. That’s what 200 health care workers in Sonoma County did Wednesday to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the county's first planned mass vaccination site.
The county and Safeway teamed up to vaccinate in-home supportive services workers and private doctors at a drive-thru site located at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.
"My pharmacists really feel like they’re part of something truly very epic," Safeway Pharmacy Manager Ann Carpico said.
The county said once it gets the green light from the state to vaccinate seniors, the public can expect more drive-thru vaccination sites to pop up.
Once the vaccine goes into people's arms, the process isn't over. Drivers have to pull over to a spot where they’re monitored for 15 minutes by a pharmacist. If there’s an allergic reaction, there are EpiPens at the ready.
"I was very impressed with how quickly they were able to get us through," optometrist Darwin Tsang said.
Getting seniors vaccinated is on the county’s to-do list. A county spokesperson said they're scouring for different places to scale up the drive-thru vaccination sites, which could have as many as 10 to 15 lanes of cars.
"At this point in time, any way will do as long as we get it right away," Linda Luna of Rohnert Park said.
