Trinity Health of New England is holding a 24-hour "Vax-A-Thon" to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to thousands of Connecticut residents as eligibility restrictions ease and all appointments have filled up.
The event will run from 5 p.m. on Friday, April 9 to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 10 at The Artists Collective at 1200 Albany Avenue in Hartford.
The Vax-A-Thon is for residents 16 and older, though those under 18 must have consent from a guardian or parent. Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be administered at today’s event in addition to some Pfizer vaccines.
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“We, at Trinity Health Of New England, have a responsibility make the COVID-19 vaccine as accessible to all members of our local neighborhoods as possible,” Reggy Eadie, president and CEO of Trinity Health Of New England, said in a statement. “We are committed to ensuring accessibility to the COVID-19 vaccine and are doing so with this unique Vax-A-Thon event. Additionally, we were able to earmark a portion of vaccine appointments specifically for our local Hartford residents."
Part of the goal of the event is to help vaccinate people who work during the day.
"A lot of our essential workers, they work overnight, by the time they get off at 5, they take public transportation, by the time they get to a vaccination center in CT they’re closed," Eade said.
The Artists Collective, which has been shutdown during the pandemic, is hoping clinics like the Vax-A-Thon, will allow venues to slowly reopen.
"We’re hoping that it opens up more and we can get back to the instruction, the dance, the music, all the wonderful things," said Miriam Roane, acting executive director of The Artists Collective.
Appointments for the Vax-A-Thon filled quickly, according to Trinity Health of New England.
Walk-ins might be able to get a vaccine, but it is based on volume and available resources.
If you do not have an appointment, you might be asked to return at a later time. People who do not have an appointment for the Vax-A-Thon are encouraged to make an appointment at one of the other Trinity Health Of New England area clinics, by calling 2-1-1 or visiting TrinityHealthOfNE.org/Appointment.
