VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The City of Virginia Beach is calling for any currently licensed physician, physician assistant, nurse (RN/LPN/NP) or EMT (paramedic/advanced/intermediate) to help administer COVID-19 vaccines.
The city says their skills are urgently needed as the they partner with the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health (DPH) to work to vaccinate the city's residents four to six days a week.
According to a release, this more intensive schedule is taking a toll on volunteers who comprise about half of the vaccination clinic’s operational staff.
As vaccine supply continues to increase, more vaccinators will be required to continue to quickly and efficiently inoculate Virginia Beach residents.
Virginia Beach EMS is now recruiting volunteer vaccinators to assist with administering COVID-19 shots.
Volunteer Vaccinator Requirements:
- Complete an EMS volunteer application here (select “Create Account”)
- Provide your credentials/certifications for verification
- Complete a brief EMS orientation over the phone
- Complete several brief online training courses (total time required is 2-3 hours)
- Consent to a background check performed by the Virginia Beach EMS (at the department’s cost).
“Virginia Beach EMS has long been a volunteer-driven agency and volunteers are the lifeblood of this operation,” said Ed Brazle, Virginia Beach EMS Chief. “The giving spirit of these people during this difficult time has been tremendous, but we can’t ask them to keep up the current pace over the next several months, and more hands will help make our clinic sustainable in the long term.”
"When somebody sits down next to your table that's 75 years old and in fragile health and the look in their eyes of how appreciative they are that they're going to be covered or have a less likely chance to getting the disease - I can't put it into words," said Tom Green, the Deputy EMS Chief.
Once prospective candidates complete all training and required checks, they should be approved to begin vaccinating within 10 business days.
Volunteers will be credentialed by EMS with ID cards and asked to submit their availability. Shifts will be scheduled by EMS with notification in advance of the vaccination clinic.
Volunteers should be able to commit to a minimum of two shifts per month, according to the release.
The city says clinics generally run Monday through Friday.