Fredericksburg Parent

16 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • February 2022 The community vaccination center in Fredericksburg's Central Park is doing brisk business these days—with COVID- 19 vaccines available to people 12 and older, the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine available for 5- to 11-year-olds, and all adults now eligible for booster doses. "We've had days recently where we've given over 1,000 doses," says Mary Chamberlin, public information officer for the Rappahannock Area Health District. In addition, she says over 15,000 doses total have been given at the site. This is a big jump from the 350 daily doses that were initially allocated to the site. But Chamberlin says AshBritt and IEM Health, which are run- ning the community vaccination center in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health, have been able to adjust their capacity to meet the increased demand. "They've been wonderful," she says, "and the feedback we've received has been very positive." AshBritt and IEM Health also operate several community vaccination centers in other parts of Virginia, as well as sites in other states. People are drawn to the Central Park community vaccination center both by its convenient location and hours and the benefits of the vaccines themselves. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and medical studies have shown that people who are fully vaccinated have a much lower risk of being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19. Vaccination also helps protect the most vulnerable members of the community by reducing the spread of the coronavirus. Many people visiting the Central Park vaccination center come from the Fredericksburg area, but any state resident can stop by for a first dose, second dose or booster. "As long as they live in the state of Virginia, they can be vaccinated at that clinic," says Chamberlin. Vaxing Up in CENTRAL PARK WRITTEN BY SHAWN RADCLIFFE

• Cover