A: I received my first COVID-19 vaccine on January 6, 2021. On that day and every other day I have volunteered at the clinics, I have been so impressed with the level of organization and smooth flow of the vaccination process. Once an individual arrives at the site at the time of their prescheduled appointment, they will be directed by members of the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office where to park and where to enter. The individual will then follow a socially distant marked line to the registration station where their QR code will be scanned and their identification information will be reviewed. After registration, they will continue to follow the marked line to the vaccination area. Once the vaccine is administered, the individual will pick up their vaccination card at the table directly outside the vaccination area, and then be directed to the post-vaccination-observation area, where they will wait under the supervision of a registered nurse for 15 minutes (based on health history, some individuals may be instructed to remain in the observation area for 30 minutes). Trained County workers and volunteers are available throughout the process to assist individuals. Q: What has it been like to help the community with this huge public health effort? A: As a volunteer I feel like I am being a part of the solution, not the problem, and helping us all reach the common goal of finally putting the pandemic behind us. Q: What are you most looking forward to doing when the pandemic is behind us? A: I am so looking forward to family gatherings! Once this pandemic is a thing of the past, I look forward to starting my retirement! My husband and I plan to do some traveling! ....................................................................... If you are interested in learning more about the volunteer program or would like to volunteer yourself, please visit Middlesexcountynj.gov/covid19 and click Volunteer.
Being part of the solution: Milltown resident describes experience as COVID-19 volunteer S ince the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of members of our community have answered the call of duty, offering their skills, services, time, and expertise to Middlesex County as either a medical or non-medical volunteer. The producers of this newsletter sat down with one of those volunteers, Margaret Coy, pictured above, of Milltown, known to her friends as Peg, to get a better sense of what drives our volunteers to dedicate themselves to the greater good during such a difficult time. ...................................................................................................................................................
more to help, and to be part of the solution.
Q: What do you do for a living? A: I am a licensed registered nurse (1981). Most of my nursing career has been in the area of community health (visiting nurse case manager, visiting nurse supervisor, health educator, school nurse). In June of 2020, I retired after 25 years in school nursing from my position as school nurse at Hammarskjold Middle School in East Brunswick. Q: How did you first learn about Middlesex County’s vaccination efforts and the call for volunteers? A: I heard of the County’s Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) through the Middlesex County School Nurses Organization. Q: Why did you want to volunteer? A: In January 2020 I made the decision that I would retire in June 2020. However, had I known then that the COVID-19 pandemic was approaching I would have postponed my retirement plans. I felt that I was leaving at a time when school nurses would have a key role in the fight against this pandemic as well as the return to school plan. As a nurse, I wanted to do
Q: How long have you been volunteering with the County to help administer vaccines? At which of the County’s six sites have you worked, and what tasks have you been doing as a volunteer? A: I believe that I began the MRC application process in April 2020. I began volunteering at the testing sites at Edison, New Brunswick, and then Piscataway through December 2020. On January 6, 2021, while in line for my first vaccine, I spoke to Marybeth Caruso, Director of Nursing, and told her I was available to administer vaccines. To date, I have volunteered two to four times a week at the Sayreville and East Brunswick vaccination sites. I have helped to set up and break down clinics, prepared syringes, administered the vaccine, and worked as an observation nurse in the post-vaccination area. Q: Can you describe what people can expect when they come to one of the County’s sites to receive their vaccine?
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