COVID-19 cases are continuing to drop across the state, however the positivity rate remains in the double digits.
This means there's still plenty of demand for vaccines and booster shots, but not everyone has the ability to make it to an appointment to get one.
That's why Hartford woman Sasa Harriott came up with a plan to take the vaccine to the people. She's spent the last year of the pandemic offering vaccines to people four days a week.
"One agency, one nurse on a mission, shot by shot," described Amaris Morales, LPN.
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She's part of a team of nurses making sure everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine can get one, especially if they're unable to leave their home.
"Everybody counts," Morales said. "There's so many people that aren't able to make it out of their home for whatever reason one way or another, mainly being health conditions. I'm just really happy that we're able to go out to each home one by one. It's a great movement."
It's a movement and a dream brought to fruition by Hartford native and president of Harriott Home Health Services, Sasa Harriott, RN.
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"If you can not come out, we will come to you," Harriott said.
She started Harriott Home Health Services in 2011. As soon as COVID-19 vaccines were authorized, she devised a plan to have her nurses take those shots door to door.
“I knew our most vulnerable population would have a difficult time navigating the system of registering for a vaccine, standing in the lines. And so we were already delivering services at home. So naturally we just extended it to bring vaccines to those who couldn’t come out and receive it," Harriott said.
That at-home service started in Hartford's North End. The program has been such a success with the state's help that it's now expanded to over 50 towns across Connecticut.
“We’ve vaccinated over 3,000 people at home currently and we continue to do so each week," Harriott said.
Elizabeth Thornton got her second COVID-19 booster. The process begins with some questions, a signature, then the vaccine. It's a quick and easy process designed to meet people where they are.
“It feels really good to let someone come in and show that they care," Thornton said. “I don’t let anybody in my house, but I trust them to come in because they’re specialized in this."
"Each town I go to in Connecticut, they're so grateful. They're extremely grateful for what we're doing. I feel very lucky to be a part of this movement," Morales said.
The Harriott Home Health nurses have administered as many as 200 shots in one day. No one has been turned away.
The state pays for the vaccine if insurance won't cover the cost.
To learn more, including how to make an appointment, you can click here.
