EXETER, N.H. –
Last week, Task Force Vaccination administered its 250,000th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The milestone comes just three weeks after the 11 NHNG-managed vaccination sites reached the 100,000 mark, a feat that took two months to achieve.
“We are adding more and more (appointments) every day,” said Airman 1st Class Matthew Black of the 157th Security Forces Squadron and traffic control at the Exeter site. “Now, it really feels like we’re making a difference.”
Converting four of the locations to walk-in and a growing brigade of volunteers has bolstered the daily vaccination average from 60 in December to more than 1,800 at a single site in March.
“We are not running back and forth from the cars to a tent," said Maj. Chad Lawrence, a 157th Medical Group nurse assigned to Exeter. "Without traffic, the patients see everything that is going on, we are able to expedite our process and everyone has a much calmer demeanor.”
According to the CDC vaccination tracker, 11.21% of New Hampshire’s residents have been fully vaccinated while 24.74% have received their first dose.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Capt. Raymond Youngs, officer in charge of Plymouth and Belmont vaccination sites. “The indoor sites have allowed us to get the vaccine out much quicker. We’re really seeing the major benefits.”