Connecticut First State to Open COVID -19 Vaccine Mobile Unit

Release Date Release Number
046
Release Date:
March 26, 2021

In alignment with President Biden’s plan to respond to COVID-19, FEMA Region 1 has worked close with the State of Connecticut and local municipalities to utilize a mobile vaccination unit to support jurisdictions in providing COVID-19 vaccinations to all those who want one.

In the ongoing effort to bring the COVID vaccine to communities and people in socially vulnerable areas, Connecticut will open the country’s first Mobile Vaccination Unit (MVU) on March 29, 2021 at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The MVU will travel throughout Connecticut for 60 days to reach populations in 17 communities. Destinations were targeted based on the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index, U.S. Census Bureau’s Community Resilience Estimates, low vaccine coverage, metrics and other barriers to vaccine access. The MVU will be used to complement ongoing efforts of local public health departments, health care providers, pharmacies, community and faith-based organizations, employers, private sector vaccinators and other federal resources. Municipal and community partners are coordinating outreach to high-risk and vulnerable residents about the MVU and assisting with appointment scheduling

Staffing for the MVU will be provided by UConn Health, Griffin Health, Hartford Healthcare, and Trinity Health of New England. The sites will also be supported by the Connecticut National Guard and municipal partners for non-clinical staffing.

The MVU is expected to handle a minimum of 250 people per day including walk-in capability within the available supply.  The one-dose Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine will be used to enhance efficiency and maximize the number of doses administered through the team. To ensure equity of distribution of the vaccine, the targeted municipalities listed are divided among the 60-day mission.

“The partnership with FEMA and the federal government has been exceptional, providing support to our state during this critical time as we continue to move as fast as possible to vaccinate as many residents as we can,” said Gov. Ned Lamont. “This first-in-the-nation Mobile Vaccination Unit is a vital tool in our toolbox to reach communities across Connecticut which have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to take every step possible, working with our network of vaccine providers, and with the support of our Congressional Delegation to ensure our distribution is equitable and touching every corner of our state.”

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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.

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