This page contains detailed information about the two smallpox vaccination clinics that would be held in the area, if an emergency occurs. In the event of a significant smallpox outbreak, the Governor will likely declare a State of Emergency and the Federal and State governments may recommend rapid smallpox vaccination of the entire civilian population. In this case, smallpox vaccination is voluntary, but recommended for almost everyone.
The day of appearance at the vaccination clinics will be based on the first letter of the last name of the head of household. The following, lists the order of appearance for the Branford and Madison Vaccination Clinics. It must be stressed that if the State of Connecticut announces another system for the order of appearance, the State system will be used. Interim order of appearance: Day 1= H-J; Day 2= K-L; Day 3= M-N; Day 4= A-B; Day 5= O-R; Day 6= C; Day 7= S; Day 8= D-E; Day 9= T-Z; Day 10= F-G. The second letter of the last name should be used to determine the order of appearance during the selected day as follows: second letters a-g= 7AM-11AM; h-m= 11AM-3PM; n-s= 3PM-7PM; t-z= 7PM-11PM. Thus, the Johnson family will report on Day 1 from 3-7PM and the Taylor family will report on Day 9 from 7-11 AM.
The towns of Branford, Guilford, East Haven, Madison and North Branford have been designated as a region by the State of Connecticut, in which there will be two mass vaccination clinics, one in Madison and one in Branford. In the event mass vaccination is indicated, residents of the subject towns will be directed to their clinic over approximately a ten-day period to be vaccinated. Branford and East Haven residents will go to the Branford location. Guilford, Madison and North Branford residents will go to the Madison location.
Residents will not be allowed to park at the clinic sites. Please refer to Driving/Parking Directions to Clinic Sites. Residents will be bussed from these parking lots to the clinic sites. Handicapped, ill and those that may have been in contact with someone with smallpox will be given special parking passes to drive directly to the clinic sites. These residents are asked to drive to the designated parking areas noted above to receive these parking passes.
It is anticipated that the two clinics will be operational for up to 16 hours per day for 10 days. Clinics will be open from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM, weekends included. Due to the complex logistical issues involved in these clinics, it will take each patient a minimum of 60 minutes to complete the entire vaccination process. The following is a preliminary description of clinic flow; in the order residents will travel through the clinic.
Triage: Each resident will enter the parking areas where they will be screened to determine if they are handicapped and can’t ride a bus, ill (Ill) and/or if anyone in their household or other close personal contacts of theirs have or may have smallpox disease (Contacts). This checkpoint is necessary to separate individuals who are Ill or are Contacts so they do not expose the entire clinic population. Handicapped, Ill and Contacts will be asked to drive directly to the Clinic sites, where appropriate parking will be available.
· Ill patients will be sent to a separate part of the clinic site for proper evaluation and care by medical personnel, as required by their symptoms. They may be offered vaccine.
· Contacts will be sent to a separate part of the clinic site for counseling on follow-up procedures and registered for monitoring for symptoms of smallpox disease. Contacts will be offered vaccine.
· Handicapped residents that are not Ill or Contacts will be progress to the next stage of the vaccination clinic.
· Not Ill/Not Contacts (mainstream population) will progress to the next stage of the vaccination clinic.
Distribution
of Information Packet: All individuals (except Ill)
will receive a comprehensive information packet,
including a script of an informational video, Medical
Screening Form, Vaccine Information Statement,
Vaccination Site Care Card and a Proof of Vaccination
Card.
Video
Viewing: All individuals will view a 20-minute video
that contains information on smallpox disease, the
smallpox vaccine, medical conditions people may have that
dictate they should not be given the smallpox vaccine
(vaccine contraindications) and informed consent
information.
Forms
Completion: All individuals will fill out
self-screening and other medical forms to determine their
flow through the remainder of the vaccination
clinic.
Post-video
Triage: Individuals will proceed to this triage point
with their completed self-screening forms. The screening
forms are used to self-identify medical conditions that
preclude smallpox vaccination (contraindications) for the
individual or family members, and to identify questions
about the vaccine.
- If
there are no self-identified contraindications or
questions, individuals will proceed to the vaccination
area.
- If
individuals decide to decline vaccination, and are not
a household or close physical contact of someone with
smallpox disease, they will leave the vaccination
clinic site.
- If
individuals have self-identified any contraindications
or have questions, they will proceed to the Counseling
Stations to receive more information.
Vaccination
Area: At each vaccination area, individuals will sign
the Consent Form on their Medical History Screening Form
to indicate that they have viewed the informational video
and had all questions answered. These forms will be
co-signed by the Vaccinator Witness and collected. A
specially trained physician or nurse will administer
vaccine. The Vaccinator Witness will stamp the Proof of
Vaccination Card and return this Card to the person
vaccinated.
Postvaccination
Information and Review: Individuals will have one
more opportunity to ask questions about the vaccine,
vaccination site care, reporting of vaccine side effects,
reporting of vaccination "take" (whether the vaccination
is effective and protective). Those for which the vaccine
does not "take" will be revaccinated.
What
to Bring:
As noted above, it is anticipated that the
minimum time for an individual to complete the
vaccination process is one hour.
- Driver's
license, passport, personal mail showing address, or
other ID with address
- Food,
diapers and small toy for infants and
children
- Wear
clothes with easy access to upper arm
- Wear
clothes appropriate for the weather
