#VaxUpManatee: Recognizing our Heroes in the Field
Wind, rain or shine, our dedicated field staff have spent the past four months running Manatee County’s drive-through vaccination sites, working hard to ensure a smooth process while providing more than 130,000 doses of the vaccine to our community.
Many of the field workers are local, while others have been brought in as part of response teams from around the state.
“We couldn’t ask to have better people out here,” said Manatee County Emergency Management Coordinator and Planning Section Chief Tristan Morath. “They all work together so well. They’re all team players, willing to pitch in and help and do whatever it takes.”
Under a blazing sun or pouring rain, Damerin D’oyen mans the entrance to the vaccination site at the Public Safety Center. For him, the work is worth it. Not just because he’s met many different, interesting people, but for the ultimate goal.
“We’re just trying to get the world back to normal,” said Damerin. “If everybody gets the vaccine, we can get the world back to how it used to be.”
Upon entering the site, the first friendly faces a patient sees are those of Parvin Jimenez and Sophie Leklou. It’s their job to make sure patients arrive with a consent form and filled it out correctly.
“This past year has been very difficult for all of us. Every country in the world has been affected by the virus,” said Parvin, relating a story from her first day on the job, when a patient arrived crying. “She said, ‘I’m 81, I live alone and I haven’t hugged anybody in a year.’ And I will never forget her. She was just a sweetheart, she was so anxious to be out of the house, but so grateful and happy she was finally getting closer to being able to hug people again.”
A little compassion goes a long way, and the workers at the site see it as part of their duty to make sure those arriving for their vaccinations feel comfortable and safe. For Parvin, it’s important to take the extra steps to help each patient, whether it’s walking them through the process in Spanish, simply offering reassurance or soliciting a laugh to calm their nerves.
“I have seen the toll that it has taken on our seniors and our elderly. You can tell it’s taken a toll on them emotionally. So I usually take a few more seconds just to tell them that I’m happy for them that they’re getting their vaccine, that it’s going to be great,” Parvin continued. “We try at this checkpoint to be very positive and encouraging and supportive because we can tell when they’re stressed out.”
“We do have some folks who are nervous, but our nurses here are lovely. They’re very sweet,” Sophie added. “Everybody’s very understanding and calm here. We’re here to make it a painless process, and we’re excited to see people out here getting vaccinated.”
Out at the County’s Tom Bennett Park vaccination site, the team shares a strong sense of community, gratitude, and purpose.
“Watching it all unfold is pretty interesting, it’s a pretty awesome experience,” said Dorian Speaker, who has been working at the County’s Tom Bennett Park vaccination site since the first day of operations. “We have people coming here thanking us so much from the bottom of their hearts, happy to get their vaccine, happy to get protected. It feels good that we’re protecting the community. We’re all here for the community.”
“Everybody’s energy is so amazing here. We have people coming through, they’re crying, thanking us. Everybody’s excited to be here,” Dorian added. “We have volunteers here everyday, and that just tells you how great of a place we’ve got running over here.”
Kimberly Saltz is one of those volunteers, serving as a Registered Nurse at the Tom Bennett Park site. The days are long — most staff are on site and in the elements from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. — but the kindness, appreciation and smiles make it worth it.
“COVID has been here for a long time, and it’s altered and affected our lives in such a way,” she said. “This is a community thing. It’s painless and it will protect you and help you get back to your life. You can be part of something bigger than yourself and help everyone get back to their lives.”
Over the past four months, Manatee County’s vaccination sites have administered over 130,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Combined with the efforts of pharmacies and other vaccination sites, more than 165,000 Manatee County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
During the early months of 2021, there was a great deal of uncertainty about when the County would receive shipments of the vaccine and how many doses would be received. Eligibility requirements continued to change, while demand for the vaccine was extremely high. Our field teams were constantly adapting to ensure the vaccines were given to as many people as possible as quickly as possible.
Despite the many challenges our vaccination teams have faced, the sites have received high praise from most residents who have driven through, commending the friendliness and efficiency of the field workers.
“It’s great to be a part of this. This is like being part of history,” said Chris Gould, a Battalion Chief with Southern Manatee Fire & Rescue. “This will be one of those things we look back on and look at all the efforts of everybody working together trying to bring public health to where it needs to be.”
