Cal Guard and Sacramento County Public Health administer COVID-19 vaccine to first responders

by Staff Sgt. Kimberly Hill
California National Guard Public Affairs

Jan. 12, 2021

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are supporting Sacramento County Public Health officials and nurses to vaccinate first responders against COVID-19 at a drive-thru vaccination site in Sacramento.

“This is a pretty historic time for all of us and we are so proud and honored to be a part of helping our communities and our friends and families,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Tiffany Cabrera, the officer in charge of the testing site and a medical officer with the 146^th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron.

The site previously operated as a drive-thru testing site, where task force members worked with Sacramento County Public Health officials and nurses testing patients for COVID-19 since July.  

On January 7 they transitioned to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers, firefighters, and law enforcement personnel, with nearly 300 people receiving their first vaccine since operations began.

“It’s been a really great partnership, we needed extra hands, we really needed people who could come in and deal with a large number of people as quickly as possible,” said Megan Sheffield, a human services program planner with Sacramento County Public Health.

Vaccinations are given by appointment only, coordinated through Sacramento County Public Health and local agencies.  When they drive up, they are first screened for medical issues prior to vaccination, said Cabrera.

Recipients are then given a card which lists their next vaccination date and a timer before driving to an adjacent parking lot where they are monitored for 15 minutes to ensure they have no side effects from the vaccination.

“We do have to monitor people for a bit longer, and we want to make sure everyone feels as safe and comfortable as possible after taking the vaccine,” said Sheffield.

Many service members working the site have been on COVID-19 orders since March 2020, working testing sites, aiding in skilled nursing facilities, and helping in local hospitals, but this marks the first time the Cal Guard is administering the vaccine to civilian personnel. 

It is especially important for healthcare professionals and first responders to have access to the COVID-19 vaccine, since they are often at high risk for COVID-19 exposure due to the nature of their jobs, said U.S. Army Spc. Brian Diaz, a combat medic with the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-185^th Infantry Battalion.

“It’s very important they get it, because we need them to take care of us.  If they’re sick and down…. everything falls apart,” said Diaz.