New York's First Mobile Vaccine Unit Rolls Out On Long Island

OCEANSIDE, NY — Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital and the Town of Hempstead joined together today to launch the state's first mobile coronavirus vaccination unit. The bus made its first stop at the Uniondale-Hempstead Senior Center, where it provided inoculations for 100 residents.

Known as the “Vaxmobile,” the bus was funded with $695,042 from the $133 million federal CARES Act money that was provided to the Town of Hempstead. South Nassau said the goal of the mobile unit is to reduce the transportation, language and technology barriers to getting the coronavirus vaccine, and to bring single-dose vaccines to the hardest-hit communities in the area.

“COVID-19 vaccines will help keep you and your family from getting seriously ill, even if you do get COVID-19, while reducing risk for others. We are proud to partner with the Town of Hempstead on this important service that allows us to bring the Johnson & Johnson vaccine directly to residents and communities within the Town of Hempstead that are at high risk of exposure to the virus and have been hard hit by the pandemic,” said Dr. Adhi Sharma, South Nassau's chief medical officer. “Please, don’t wait. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.”

The 50-foot bus, a 2013 International Durastar 4400, was previously used as a mobile command center and was purchased by Mount Sinai South Nassau from Mission Mobile Medical, a North Carolina-based mobile medical company. The Vaxmobile arrived at the hospital’s Oceanside campus on March 4. During the past two weeks, the hospital used the Vaxmobile to distribute more than 400 J&J vaccines to town residents in a drive-thru setting on its Oceanside campus and in Baldwin as part of a soft launch to test out the unit’s systems.

In the coming weeks, the Vaxmobile will travel to various locations throughout the Town of Hempstead. The schedule will be dictated by vaccine supply and availability. South Nassau and the town are communicating directly with community leaders to schedule visits to convenient and popular locations, including faith-based organizations, libraries, recreation centers, senior centers, parks and train stations.

Organizations or centers interested in scheduling a visit for eligible residents or for more information can call the Town of Hempstead at (516) 812-3678 or send an email to VaxMobile@snch.org.

All vaccines administered at the Vaxmobile are by appointment only and residents must meet the eligibility requirements as determined by the New York State Department of Health.

“This is truly a historic day in the Town of Hempstead, and we are proud to join our friends at Mount Sinai South Nassau to unveil the first COVID-19 mobile vaccination unit in New York state and only the second in the entire country,” said Hempstead Town Supervisor Donald Clavin. “The COVID-19 vaccine is imperative in helping us prevent the spread of this virus, keeping our residents safe and returning to a sense of normalcy here in the Town of Hempstead.”

The handicapped-accessible mobile unit is staffed by a bi-lingual team from South Nassau, including a nurse practitioner, licensed practicing or registered nurses, registrars and community health education professionals. The interior of the unit includes a private exam room, computerized workstations, medical testing and lab technologies, and secure storage areas.

Once the pandemic has passed, the hospital and the town plan to deploy the mobile unit to advance community health education and screening for other diseases.

“The mobile unit will allow us to extend our reach and bring services directly to the communities we serve,” said Richard Murphy, president and CEO of South Nassau. “Many people who are working and raising families find it hard to find the time to get the health care they need while others have mobility and transportation problems. This unit will help us reach those people in need.”