PORTSMOUTH — Plans are underway locally in preparation for a potential COVID vaccination clinic, and residents are welcome to get involved. 

Portsmouth has a Medical Emergency Distribution System (MEDS) Point-of-Dispensing (POD) Plan to operate a vaccination clinic, such as one for COVID-19.

The Rhode Island Department of Health has scheduled virtual sessions on the basics of the MEDS-POD plan to train municipal staff who would staff a clinic in an emergency, community members who wish to become volunteers, and municipal leaders.

The 90-minute course will provide participants with an overview of the MEDS POD that a municipality would establish in the event of a public health emergency. PODs provide medications or vaccinations to the public to prevent illness or death, and participants will learn their purpose and functions as well as issues related to mass medical vaccination dispensing. 

The course has been modified to a virtual format to ensure adherence to social distancing guidelines during COVID-19. There are online sessions scheduled for multiple dates and times from November to January 2021 To see specific dates/times and log-in instructions, click here.

For more information on Portsmouth’s MEDS-POD Program, click here or contact Portsmouth’s MEDS coordinator, Rich Talipsky, at rtalipsky@portsmouthri.com or 401/643-0382.

Please support your local news coverage

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the local economy - and many of the advertisers who support our work - to a near standstill. During this unprecedented challenge, we continue to make our coronavirus coverage free to everyone at eastbayri.com - we believe it is our mission is to deliver vital information to our communities. If you believe local news is essential, especially during this crisis, please consider a tax-deductible donation. 

Donate Here

Thank you for your support!

Matt Hayes, Portsmouth Times Publisher