Vernon Mobile Vaccination Unit Receiving National Recognition

VERNON, CT — The town of Vernon's mobile coronavirus unit received some national recognition Monday with two members of the the U.S. Congress maying visits to two different venues.

Up first was U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, who paid a late-morning visit to the Vernon Senior Center. As another large-scale vaccination effort was under way, Murphy was briefed by Mayor Daniel Champagne and Town Administrator and Emergency management Director Michael Purcaro on the efforts to get area residents vaccinated on a partnership with Ellington-based Priority Urgent Care.

Also on hand were representatives from the Al-Noor Islamic Center on the Ellington-Vernon line, a major player in the efforts to host clinics.

Murphy agreed with Champagne that efforts to "get shots into arms," is a priority.

The senator also seemed impressed by the "all hands on deck" approach, meaning municipal staffers from police officers to recreation officials, to public works crews to fire department staffers to school system employees have volunteered to help at clinics.

Since late January, thousands have been vaccinates through the Vernon mobile unit.

Later in the day, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney was on hand to witness the newest incentive — "Getting Vax to Business" vaccination clinics.

Monday's stop was at Oakridge Dairy, a large dairy farm in Ellington, where about 50 migrant farm workers were vaccinated. Purcaro even gave the introduction in Spanish.

Stops at last week's kickoff included Rein's Deli and Swiss Cleaners in Vernon.

"How can you not se what Vernon is doing," said Courtney, a Vernon resident himself. "Wherever I go in the district (Connecticut's 2nd District), people are talking about what Vernon has been doing."

Courtney was particularly impressed by the efforts at an agriculture venue. It's a topic near and dear to him. As he talked, a carousel of cows was rotating in the background at the Oak Ridge milking house.

"The agricultural workers are essential and need the vaccine," he said. "This is about keeping them healthy so we can out food on the table."

Vernon's efforts have also been praised by the federal Centers for Disease Control and even highlighted at a recent national coronavirus vaccination symposium.