Free, Walk-In Vaccination Center Set for Thursday, April 29

  • April 27, 2021

Carol Humburg, RN, finishes administering the COVID-19 vaccine to Marcus Harming at the April 22 walk-in community vaccination center. The Brookings County PPCC will hold another free, walk-in vaccination center this Thursday, April 29 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Swiftel Center. Single dose Janssen vaccines will be available to people age 18 and older.
Carol Humburg, RN, finishes administering the COVID-19 vaccine to Marcus Harming at the April 22 walk-in community vaccination center. The Brookings County PPCC will hold another free, walk-in vaccination center this Thursday, April 29 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Swiftel Center. Single dose Janssen vaccines will be available to people age 18 and older.

The Brookings County Pandemic Planning and Coordination Committee (PPCC) will hold a free, walk-in COVID-19 community vaccination center, also referred to as a point of dispensing (POD), on Thursday, April 29. It will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Swiftel Center in Brookings.

Single-dose Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccines will be available to people age 18 and older. At the time of appointment, walk-in recipients must bring a valid ID (driver’s license, passport, state-issued ID, etc.). Individuals needing transportation to the community vaccination center may schedule a free ride in advance with Brookings Area Transit Authority (BATA) by calling (605) 692-2222.

The FDA and CDC ended the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine pause on April 23. The pause was initiated due to rare reports of blood clots. As of April 21, 2021, 7.98 million vaccine doses were administered with 15 confirmed cases of the rare blood clots. Both the FDA and CDC stated they have confidence the vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 and that the known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks for individuals 18 years of age and older.

“With the known risk of the Janssen vaccine, our medical providers at the community vaccination center will ask recipients about their health history prior to receiving the vaccine to ensure the Janssen vaccine is a safe option for them,” said Operations Section Chief Patrick Siegling who is the clinic director at Avera Medical Group Brookings. “In addition, local clinicians know what warning signs to look for in patients in the rare chance of an adverse event. Those signs include shortness of breath, leg pain, headache, abdominal pain and fever.”

More information about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines can be found at brookingshealth.org/Vaccine.

About the Brookings County Pandemic Planning & Coordination Committee

The Brookings County Pandemic Planning & Coordination Committee (PPCC) is a partnership between Brookings Health System, Brookings County Emergency Management, the City of Brookings, the Brookings County Chapter of the Red Cross, South Dakota State University, Sanford Health Brookings Clinic, Avera Medical Group Brookings and the Swiftel Center. The PPCC focuses on community preparedness and response in cases of natural disasters, infectious diseases and terrorism. More information and resources can be found at bereadybrookings.com.