Twitter photo
Hill Alder Ron Hurt gets vaccinated at Career High School popup clinic on March 20.
When public schools close for April recess later this month, the city plans to open a Covid-19 mass vaccination clinic at Career High School in the Hill with the explicit goal of providing shots for eligible New Haven youth.
City Health Director Maritza Bond detailed those plans Wednesday night during a six-hour public budget hearing and departmental workshop hosted by the aldermanic Finance Committee on Zoom and YouTube Live.
Wednesday night’s public meeting marked the second opportunity in as many days for the Finance Committee alders to take a department-by-department look at Mayor Justin Elicker’s two proposed Fiscal Year 2021 – 2022 (FY22) general fund budgets—a $589.1 million “crisis” version and a $606.2 million “forward together” budget.
Zoom
Wednesday night’s budget hearing.
During her turn at the virtual mic, Bond told the alders that the city health department plans to open a new, temporary vaccination clinic at Career High School at 140 Legion Ave. between April 12 and April 16.
That’s when New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) is closed for a weeklong April recess. Bond said the city plans to seize that opportunity of New Haven students out of class during the day, and try to get those who are 16 or older to come to Career for a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Bond told the Independent that the site should be open from roughly 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday that week. The city anticipates being able to vaccinate upwards of 500 people per day.
While the site is open to the general population, Bond said, the health department will limit shots to New Haven residents only — and will prioritize shots for New Haven high school students.
She said that any student who is 16 or 17 needs to provide the city with parental consent before getting a shot at the Career clinic.
The city plans to partner with local “youth influencers” who will get vaccinated that week, and publicize their experience to try to encourage other fellow eligible New Haven teens to get their shots.
New Haven Health Department photo
Health Director Bond with Hill Alder Ron Hurt, at Career High School popup clinic on March 20.
Do young New Haveners need to make an appointment before showing up at the Career clinic? East Rock Alder Anna Festa asked.
“We’re encouraging appointments, but we are going to have a timeframe for walkups, too,” Bond replied. “We’re not going to turn anyone away.”
Bond said this new Career High School clinic is one part of a broader youth vaccination campaign the city is about to launch, now that all Connecticut residents 16 and older are eligible to get vaccinated as of Thursday, per the governor’s statewide vaccine rollout plan.
Festa also asked about what happened on March 20, when the city ran a popup vaccination clinic at Career High School — and then put out the word midday that there were roughly 400 vaccination slots open and available and in need of patients interested in getting a shot.
“That clinic was dedicated for Board of Education staff and support staff,” Bond replied. “There were about 100 slots for people who were able to get a second dose elsewhere, and then forgot to cancel.
“We technically had a fully scheduled clinic. Then we found out too late” that so many people would not be coming because they had already gotten their second shots.
Fortunately, she said, when the city put out the word on social media and reached out to alders and other community partners, all available slots were quickly filled.
“We were able to achieve 340 vaccinations” that day, she said.
See below for information on where and how to schedule an appointment to get vaccinated.
• New Haven Health Department: Call 203 – 946-5950
• Yale New Haven Health System: Visit the website here or call 833-ASK-YNHH
• Cornell Scott Hill Health Center: Visit the website here or call 203 – 503-3000
• Fair Haven Community Health Care: Visit the website here or call 203 – 871-4179
• Walgreens (436 Whalley Ave., 88 York St., or 87 Foxon St.): Visit the website here or call (203) 777‑8001 for 436 Whalley Ave. ; (203) 752‑9893 for 88 York St.; or (203) 469‑3016 for 87 Foxon St.
• Walmart (315 Foxon Blvd.) Visit the website here.