Get ready for vaccination to protect yourselves and your loved ones
At the community level, the Hospital Authority assists in the operations of seven Community Vaccination
Centres (CVC). From venue planning, operations flow to staff arrangements, our colleagues join
hand-in-hand to transform different venues into CVC.
Among them, CVC at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Sports Centre under Hong Kong West Cluster (HKWC) is the first to be put in service. Dr Lee So-lun, HKWC Deputising Service Director (Quality & Safety), who orchestrated its establishment, recalls the biggest challenge in the preparation is to liaise with different parties and reach consensus under tight schedule. Externally, Dr Theresa Li, Cluster Chief Executive of HKWC, has to communicate closely with government departments to set out an efficient workflow to facilitate smooth operation. One of the approaches is to draw a clear division of different areas, including reception, appointment area, resting area and special support station. Internally, the team has to reinforce coordination among various departments and collectively formulate a series of contingency plans for possible emergencies arising from vaccination, infection control management, handling of vaccine and transportation arrangements. In any critical cases, doctors-in-charge on site and registered nurses with emergency care training will carry out emergency management immediately.
She adds that providing vaccination to the public outside the hospital is unprecedented. As such, they had arranged two drills, one of which involved a cross-departmental participation of more than 100 people, with an aim to minimising unexpected risks. “For example, planning routes to the hospital for serious cases, installing platform on the floor of the venue to prevent the diluted vaccine from shaking vigorously due to the uneven ground, and installing blue curtains outside the vaccination area to protect the privacy of the vaccinated.”
Although unexpected incidents happened after the official operation of the centre, the issues were immediately resolved with credits to the strong resilience of all parties and the close cooperation with government departments. For example, there was once a power outage in the venue. Fortunately, the vaccine refrigeration device had been connected to the backup power so that the vaccine could be safely stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. Another alarming occasion was that the ceiling suspension became loose, and as a result the vaccination service had to be suspended for a two-hour emergency maintenance. After that, a safety net was added under the ceiling for dual protection.
Dr Lee says, “In the past, the public seldom asked about their suitability of receiving vaccination or the side effects of the vaccine when they were given flu shots. However, they have more queries about COVID-19 vaccines. In light of this, we have set up an information area in the venue to address the public concerns.” In her view, this is an ‘once in a lifetime’ experience because during the preparation, colleagues learned how to provide vaccination safely in a non-hospital setting. This precious experience also enables staff to walk into the community to serve the citizens, demonstrating the importance of medical-social collaboration.
Among them, CVC at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Sports Centre under Hong Kong West Cluster (HKWC) is the first to be put in service. Dr Lee So-lun, HKWC Deputising Service Director (Quality & Safety), who orchestrated its establishment, recalls the biggest challenge in the preparation is to liaise with different parties and reach consensus under tight schedule. Externally, Dr Theresa Li, Cluster Chief Executive of HKWC, has to communicate closely with government departments to set out an efficient workflow to facilitate smooth operation. One of the approaches is to draw a clear division of different areas, including reception, appointment area, resting area and special support station. Internally, the team has to reinforce coordination among various departments and collectively formulate a series of contingency plans for possible emergencies arising from vaccination, infection control management, handling of vaccine and transportation arrangements. In any critical cases, doctors-in-charge on site and registered nurses with emergency care training will carry out emergency management immediately.
She adds that providing vaccination to the public outside the hospital is unprecedented. As such, they had arranged two drills, one of which involved a cross-departmental participation of more than 100 people, with an aim to minimising unexpected risks. “For example, planning routes to the hospital for serious cases, installing platform on the floor of the venue to prevent the diluted vaccine from shaking vigorously due to the uneven ground, and installing blue curtains outside the vaccination area to protect the privacy of the vaccinated.”
Although unexpected incidents happened after the official operation of the centre, the issues were immediately resolved with credits to the strong resilience of all parties and the close cooperation with government departments. For example, there was once a power outage in the venue. Fortunately, the vaccine refrigeration device had been connected to the backup power so that the vaccine could be safely stored at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. Another alarming occasion was that the ceiling suspension became loose, and as a result the vaccination service had to be suspended for a two-hour emergency maintenance. After that, a safety net was added under the ceiling for dual protection.
Dr Lee says, “In the past, the public seldom asked about their suitability of receiving vaccination or the side effects of the vaccine when they were given flu shots. However, they have more queries about COVID-19 vaccines. In light of this, we have set up an information area in the venue to address the public concerns.” In her view, this is an ‘once in a lifetime’ experience because during the preparation, colleagues learned how to provide vaccination safely in a non-hospital setting. This precious experience also enables staff to walk into the community to serve the citizens, demonstrating the importance of medical-social collaboration.
