59 MDW medics volunteer to administer COVID-19 vaccine
By 59th Medical Public Affairs
/ Published February 22, 2021
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- Since the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine to Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center on Dec. 14, 2020, more than 50 nurses and medical technicians have volunteered to administer the vaccine.
Donning badges labeled “injector”, these Warrior Medics sanitize their hands, put on gloves and administer the COVID-19 vaccine before de-gloving, sanitizing and starting the process all over again, patient after patient.
“Volunteering to administer the vaccine to patients is important to me because people are dying from this disease,” said Senior Airman Ladrena Tucker, 59th Medical Operations Squadron Internal Medicine medical technician. “I want to help end this pandemic and the least I can do is administer the vaccine.”
With the vaccination process taking a minute or less per patient, the vaccinators average using 10 bottles of hand sanitizer and about 20 to 30 boxes of gloves in a weeks’ time as they continue to work through the Department of Defense’s vaccination distribution strategy.
“All our hands are peeling from all the excessive use of hand sanitizer, but we are okay with it because we’re being clean and safe between patients,” said Capt. Sarah Gilbert, 59th Surgical Operations Squadron Post Anesthesia Care Unit nurse.