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Robert Smith, a Fairfield resident who was among the thousands to become eligible for the vaccine in Connecticut on Monday, March 1, had only good things to say about his experience as he was able to swiftly lock down an appointment and receive his first shot within days.
Smith said that he first went to a healthcare provider website on Monday that was overburdened with Connecticut residents looking to make appointments for the vaccine and would not load, saying that his “expectations had been met.”
However, he logged into his town’s website and was able to get a Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) account within seconds, and he promptly received a return email about an appointment the next day that he “thought would take weeks.”
According to Smith, he was able to search for appointments within 10 miles, and he ultimately went to Southwest Health Center in Bridgeport on Thursday, March 4, days after he was deemed eligible by the state.
“At Southwest, there were attendants to direct parking and clients to the right door,” Smith said. “I was greeted at the door and directed to the check-in line. Check-in took no time and I was asked to stand in one of ten vaccination lines.”
Smith said that he only had to wait approximately 10 minutes to receive his vaccination, before which the nurse administering the vaccine explained the shot process, and gave him a “painless injection.”
Following his shot, Smith was instructed to move along to the waiting area in the rare event of an allergic reaction, and while he was waiting, more nurses came into the waiting room with a laptop to schedule an appointment to receive a second dose, which would complete the vaccine.
“There were about a dozen National Guard troops helping with the whole process,” he said. “None of those lines had more than a few people in them. Medical staff, helpers, and patients were all smiling because they were doing their part to keep our state safe.
“Way to go Connecticut. I am a proud Nutmegger.”
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