For Immediate Release:
Housatonic Valley Health District is seeking clinical and non-clinical volunteers to join in the fight to prevent Influenza and COVID-19 this fall. A wide variety of volunteer opportunities exist, ranging from vaccinators, to check-in, to observation staff, to lend a hand at Flu and COVID-19 vaccination clinics this Fall.
Flu and COVID-19 vaccines prevent hospitalization and emergency room visits every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “a 2021 study showed that among adults, flu vaccination was associated with a 26% lower risk of ICU admission and a 31% lower risk of death from flu compared to those who were unvaccinated.” Additionally, getting eligible children and teens vaccinated against COVID-19 and flu can help relieve the strain on families by providing greater confidence in children participating in childcare, school, and other activities and preventing parents from missing work to stay home with a sick child (CDC, 2022).
“Housatonic Valley Health District is committed to providing flu and COVID-19 clinics across our communities this fall to ensure that our families and friends stay safe and healthy,” said Lisa Morrissey, Director of Health. “Both clinical and non-clinical volunteers play a vital role in vaccinating our communities, and we are in need of committed and dedicated volunteers to help us carry out our vaccination clinics.”
Becoming a Medical Reserve Corps volunteer is easy. Email cht@hvhd.us with email header “New Volunteer.” They will then direct you to a form with basic questions to find out a little more about who you are. HVHD will then host an orientation for new volunteers to meet fellow volunteers and find out more details about being an HVMRC volunteer.
For more information on upcoming Flu and COVID-19 vaccination clinic opportunities or how to become an MRC volunteer, contact the Community Health Team at cht@hvhd.us or visit https://hvhdct.gov/emergency-preparedness/medical-reserve-corps/.
The Housatonic Valley Health District serves New Milford, Oxford, Southbury, Washington, and Woodbury. The Housatonic Valley Health District’s mission is to create better health outcomes and promote the highest attainable standard of health. It accomplishes this through three principles: prevention, education, and outreach. HVHD prevents disease, injury, and disability for its communities through regular inspections of public and private businesses and homes to ensure conditions exist where people can be healthy. HVHD uses education to inform the public and health practitioners on public health best practices, policy information, and the impacts and methods of prevention for the spread of communicable diseases. HVHD conducts outreach to engage their communities that experience obstacles in accessing the public health services they need, deliver vaccines to the community, and advocate for needed and beneficial health policies.
For more information about the Housatonic Valley Health District, call (203) 264-9616.
