In a collaborative effort, Lufkin, Texas-based Brookshire Brothers partnered with numerous local agencies in Angelina and Nacogdoches counties recently to quickly and efficiently vaccinate a large number of residents against COVID-19.
More than 1,000 people received their first dose of the highly anticipated vaccine during two separate clinics set up in Lufkin and Nacogdoches.
“It is our overall goal to get as many people vaccinated as possible, as quickly as possible, and together we were able to make that happen. These past two days marked a major step in the right direction as we continue the fight against COVID-19,” said Brookshire Brothers’ Director of Clinical Pharmacy Programs Laura Edmundson.
At the Nacogdoches Exposition Center on Thursday, Jan. 7, 450 residents received the vaccine through a partnership with the city of Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County and Stephen F. Austin State University’s DeWitt School of Nursing. On Friday, Jan. 8, the Pitser Garrison Convention Center in Lufkin was set up to vaccinate an additional 610 residents with the assistance of the city of Lufkin, Angelina County, the Angelina County & Cities Health District, CHI St. Luke’s Health-Memorial, Woodland Heights and Urgent Doc.
The process was simple, and the atmosphere was calm, as one by one, residents over the age of 65 and those with chronic medical conditions were escorted through different areas of the large facilities, organizers said. This was so residents could fill out paperwork, receive their immunization and be monitored for a short time afterward by additional medical staff.
When the vaccine began rolling out in late December, Brookshire Brothers’ waiting list of eligible residents wanting to be immunized rapidly grew. With the help of the Lufkin-based pharmacy chain and numerous local agencies, these clinics were set up within just a few days.
“We knew that in order to process more people, we would need a larger facility and some additional staff to help make it happen. Our community partners are amazing and really stepped up to make this happen,” Edmundson said.
Brookshire Brothers pre-screened and scheduled the vaccine recipients from its waiting list. These clinics were not available to the general public.
“If you weren’t able to get your vaccine this week, don’t worry. It is our plan to duplicate this process numerous times over the coming weeks and months across the state, just as soon as we are allocated additional doses of the vaccine.”
To sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine waiting list or to learn more about how the company is administering the vaccine, visit BrookshireBrothers.com/covid-19.
