Hundreds Of First Responders From Guilford, 4 Towns Get Vaccine

GUILFORD, CT — Three regional health departments joined forces to vaccinate hundreds of emergency services personnel and first responders from Guilford, Branford, East Haven, North Branford, and Madison against COVID-19.

The East Shore District Health Department partnered with the Guilford and Madison health departments to administer the vaccines.

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were given to emergency personnel beginning Dec. 29, with the last round of inoculations held Wednesday at the Madison Town Campus.

According to Barbara Naclerio of East Shore District Health, before Wednesday's vaccine program some, 200 first responders, including firefighters and EMTS, as well as a number of health department staff volunteers, had already gotten the first shot. Wednesday, Naclerio said around another 130 to 140 were expected to be vaccinated.

East Shore District Health Department staff nurses and Medical Reserve Corps volunteer nurses administered the vaccine as part of the state's Phase 1a vaccination effort phase which includes healthcare personnel, long-term care residents and first responders at risk of exposure to COVID-19 including Emergency Medical Technicians, police and firefighters.

All recipients of the vaccine will require a second dose one month after the first vaccination.

East Shore health says it will continue to provide vaccinations to those whose turn it is to receive the vaccine. The Health Departments' goal is for all residents to have access to the vaccination, although this will likely not occur until late Spring or early Summer 2021

East Shore health director Michael Pascucilla called the vaccine program, and collaboration between several towns' health department's to make it happen, "a promising step forward, to date, in protecting our community through this pandemic."

But he cautioned that communities, "must remain diligent in following guidelines to slow the spread of the virus."