Johnston hosts second vaccination clinic

Editor's note: A version of this story appeared in the 3/5/21 edition of the Sun Rise with  a byline of Jacob Marrocco. He did not write this story, as it was submitted as a release by the JPD.

Johnston’s young at heart continue to be vaccinated against the coronavirus thanks to the efforts of individuals with very local connections.

Last Saturday, Johnston held its second municipal COVID-19 clinic serving residents 75 years of age and older at the Indoor Recreation Center. Not only did the clinic bring in 250 individuals to receive their first shot of vaccine, it also brought together three people who share a common beginning in Johnston’s schools.

Mayor Joseph Polisena, Johnston Police Chief Joseph Razza and Dr. Brian Kwetkowski all attended Winsor Hill Elementary and eventually graduated from Johnston High School. Together, they joined forces to serve the community and ensure that the town’s most vulnerable population received their vaccination.

“Once again, just like the first one, this was great, it was really flawless. There were no hiccups, and people were in and out. They obviously were very happy and very pleased from what I’ve been told from the people that were working there,” said Mayor Polisena. “We had all hands on deck, so to speak. We had the firefighters, the police officers, the recreation employees and town employees all working together hand in hand to make sure this was a success and make sure that the people who came to us got the service they wanted.”

Razza, who also serves as Johnston’s emergency management director, coordinated Saturday’s point of distribution, or POD, the second of eight currently scheduled.

“When you’re born and raised in the community and you eventually become the chief of police, I can’t think of anything more important than being at this clinic and ensuring these people receive their vaccine without an issue,” Razza said. “I appreciate the time that Mayor Polisena and Dr. Kwetkowski took out of their busy schedules to be here today.”

Both the mayor and Kwetkowski were hands on during the clinic, as the doctor answered questions and provided insight on the future of vaccine distribution and treatment, while Polisena vaccinated numerous individuals in his capacity as a nurse. The mayor said that vaccine recipients were often surprised to find that it’s him behind the mask.

“They say, ‘You’re the mayor,’ and I say ‘Shh, don’t tell anyone,’” Polisena said. “I’m no different than a firefighter who is giving a shot, I just happen to be a nurse. To me, this is a form of public safety. It’s a commitment to the community, and I want to make sure I can do whatever little bit I can to help.”

The clinic served those who scheduled an appointment through the Department of Health’s website, and operated from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. It was staffed with members from every department in town, along with police, fire, elected officials and civilian volunteers.

“It was an overall success, absolutely, I was very proud of the firefighters, the police officers, and the municipal workers that were there helping,” Polisena said. “Overall, I give it an A plus, not because of me though, but because of the volunteers and the firefighters and police officers. And of course, I must say, that under Chief Razza, this would not have been a success if it wasn’t for his leadership.”

Going forward, the mayor believes that the town’s scheduled PODs will continue to be successful. He added that, per current guidelines set forth by the Department of Health, the town is only allowed to administer the vaccine to those that are 75 years of age and older. Only a limited amount of vaccines are made available by the state for distribution by the town.

“I know that some people are upset because they can’t get it because they are under 75. We have to take our instructions from the Rhode Island Department of Health, so if they have any complaints they can call the Rhode Island Department of Health and explain their displeasure with the way the system is set up,” Polisena said. “We’re only tasked to give the vaccine to people 75 years of age and up. If they gave us vaccines tomorrow to give to those 65 and up, those shots would be in the people’s arms.”

To help keep the day’s operation running smoothly and the POD staff happy, 130 complete and individually bagged lunches, along with refreshments, were donated by Ralph DeFusco of Ralph’s Catering.

“Ralph called me on Monday and said he would like to provide your staff lunch at our next event. All I said to Ralph was ‘When?’ and ‘Thank you,’” Chief Razza said. “On Saturday, there was food to feed a small army. So a big thank you to Ralph for his generosity and commitment to our community.”

Razza also said that during times of uncertainty, it was reassuring to know that individuals like the event’s workers, volunteers, DeFusco and Kwetkowski were ready and available to answer the call to serve.

“These clinics could not be accomplished without the support of our volunteers and an overall commitment from the entire community,” Razza said. “This type of event is not accomplished without true community spirt and pride.”