Linn County Public Health and its Samaritan Health and Medical Reserve Corps partners have dispensed more than 30,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center in recent weeks.
But county staff and volunteers have also been busy rolling out a new Mercedes Sprinter van that is being outfitted into a mobile health center that can reach every corner of the county year-round.
Linn County Health Services Emergency Manager Neva Anderson said the four-wheel-drive unit cost about $100,000 and was purchased with federal CARES Act funds.
Linn County commissioners also allocated another $35,000 in CARES Act funds for equipment including a vaccine refrigerator, tables and chairs and storage facilities.
Anderson said the van is being used to provide vaccinations to homebound residents and at congregate living homes around the county. It is busy four to five days per week, Anderson said.
Wednesday, March 31, on a sunny, 70-degree day, the unit was at Albany Helping Hands, providing shots for homeless people. During the first hour of a two-hour shift, 65 vaccinations had already been given, Anderson said.
“We have used some Moderna vaccines, but primarily, we use the Johnson and Johnson vaccine in the van because it is easier to keep and only requires one shot,” Anderson said. “We will increase our mobile unit outreach when we get more Johnson and Johnson doses.”
Anderson said the unit has been in Sweet Home, Brownsville and Gates.
This week, it will be set up at a local truck stop to provide vaccinations to truck drivers.
“I can see a time, when we have enough doses, that we will take the unit to communities, say Brownsville on Monday, Sweet Home on Wednesday and Mill City on Friday,” Anderson said.
Todd Noble, Linn County Public Health Director, said he and Anderson came up with the idea for the van as a proactive way of reaching out throughout the county.
“We are the only county in the state to have something like this, the only county that isn’t charging for the shots and we are not run by hospitals,” Noble said.
Noble said the van will soon be outfitted with large dispensary-like windows.
Homebound people are encouraged to contact Linn County Public Health at (541) 967-3888 or visit http://www.linncountyhealth.org/lcdhs/webform/vaccine-requests-home-bound-individuals.
– Alex Paul, County Communications Officer