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Virginia Beach first responders receive Moderna coronavirus vaccine

This is the first major COVID-19 vaccination clinic for the city.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Frontline workers in Virginia Beach did their part Tuesday to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Some members of the city's Fire and EMS crews got the Moderna coronavirus vaccine. 

Virginia Beach mayor Bobby Dyer said the plan was to vaccinated 370 workers. Emergency Medical Services chief Ed Brazle said he was expecting around 250 employees to show up for a vaccine. 

EMT Shanna Rome said she got the vaccine to protect herself and she's hoping to be an example for her family.

"I'm trying to still convince my mother when its time, and her husband, and everyone else to try and get this vaccine," Rome said. "It is a sense of relief. I'm not going to deny that but until more people are vaccination, it's not a complete breath of fresh air."

The vaccination clinic was drive-through style. EMS employees got to stay in their cars as medical workers administered the shot.

Afterwards, they were monitored for 15 minutes to make sure there were no allergic reactions. 

Right now, Virginia Beach is still in phase one of vaccine distribution for people who are at heightened risk of contracting the virus: frontline medical workers, people in long term care facilities, and essential first responders - like volunteer rescue squad member Mike Bettinger, who also got vaccinated. 

"Even last night, I was on duty and we had someone who had a very good chance of having corona," Bettinger said. "The department has provided us all the necessary equipment and we are protecting ourselves. and this is just another method of protecting ourselves."

Brazle said anyone who staffs an emergency medical vehicle in the city is eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. 

"Since COVID pandemic started, EMS has transported at least 600 known COVID positive patients to the hospitals and our folks are in and out of medical facilities every day where we know there are COVID patients present," he said.

Brazle said the vaccine is not mandatory, and about 60% of first responders in Virginia Beach said they were interested in getting the shot.

There will be another vaccination clinic for first responders next week.

So far, he said 600 people have signed up for the vaccine, and he expects that number to rise.

“In the EMS field it’s a completely uncontrolled environment," he said. "And then once you take a patient, you are enclosed in the back of an ambulance with them for an extended period of time, so the risk factor goes up. Again, we have great PPE but this provides a great measure of protection for our folks, so we’re really excited.”

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