ASHLAND, Ore. — First Presybteria Church in Ashland opened its doors Friday and offered COVID-19 vaccinations, marking the first of many scheduled clinics.
“There are a lot of seniors in Ashland and By-Mart went down…their pharmacy closed,” said Bea Berry, the registered nurse on duty. “So that left the options for seniors to just go to the expo for vaccines or to the Jackson County Health Department.”
In order for people to receive their booster shot at this location, they must make an appointment by calling Wellness 2000 at 541-776-9167. The church is also accepting some walk-ins.
“We believe that part of the role of the church is to support the community around us,” said Dan Fowlery, pastor of First Presbyterian Church. “Getting vaccinated is like loving your neighbor, and so we want to do that and offer it to people in the community.”
In previous years, the church has given out flu shots. They have housed around 12 clinics since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and this year they are only offering the Moderna vaccine.
At this location, people ages 6 to 64 can receive their first bivalent booster shot. For others 65 years and older, the second bivalent booster is available. Before entering, individuals must show their primary, secondary, and ancillary insurance carriers. United Health Care is not accepted.
The clinic ended at 3 pm Berry said they may plan to offer another one in the fall, but people can still get a shot at Wellness 2000 Inc. located in Medford.
“There are still infections,” Berry said. “It’s not as dangerous and it’s not as prevalent as it was, I think, two years ago in 2021. But we still have infections and people are still getting sick. So we still want to prevent people from getting COVID now and in the future “. the future.”
Mariah Hill is a news producer/reporter at NewsWatch 12. Mariah can be reached at mariahhill@kdrv.com.
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