Danbury Coronavirus Vaccine Clinic Hits Major Milestone

DANBURY, CT — The city's Department of Health & Human Services clinic administered its 10,000th coronavirus vaccination Thursday.

The clinic at Rogers Park was among the very first in the state to be opened by a municipal department. It's supported by the Health Department staff, local volunteers, the Danbury Police Department and Police Cadets, Western Connecticut State University’s nursing program, and local nurses.

The facility is managed by Acting Health Director Kara Prunty and Associate Director of Health Fernanda Carvalho.

"When we realized there was an opportunity to receive doses and start vaccinating our first responders, my staff didn't question whether or not we could handle it, they just asked ‘when can we start?’,” Prunty said.

The clinic's dose allotment is managed by the state on a weekly basis, and appointment times are determined through Connecticut's Vaccine Administration Management System. Outside of VAMS, the Danbury Health Department Clinic has found alternative avenues to reach vulnerable populations. They have worked with the Senior Center and other local agencies/senior living facilities to schedule Danbury seniors, and have offered trilingual forms on the city's website to for the benefit of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking residents.

"Our motivation to vaccinate our community hasn't changed from the 75-plus population to teachers, we are here to help fill this need for Danbury, as are our partners at CIFC, CHC, and Nuvance Health," said Prunty.