Calling all faculty, staff and students to volunteer at campus POD
This information has been updated. Please see this updated memo for the latest details.
As many of you may know, the University has opened one of the vaccine points of dispensing (PODs) for Pima County. This week has been a trial run and things have gone very well. However, the plan is to ramp up significantly and be in operation over the next 10-12 weeks at least and we need A LOT of volunteers to make this happen.
If you are interested, please fill out this Volunteer Registration form and you will receive instructions soon as to how to sign up for shifts. Pima County and the University are recruiting both medical and non-medical volunteers to help staff drive-through and walk-up vaccination events at the University of Arizona main campus in Tucson. Our goal is to vaccinate over 1,000 people per day. Right now, we are mostly focused on K-12 staff.
Recruitment and scheduling for volunteers began this week and will continue throughout the semester. We're still working out the system to sign up for shifts. Please be patient with us as we build this system for volunteers as quickly as we can.
Many people will be needed to accomplish the feat of vaccinating the people of Pima County. Whatever your background, training or interests, we have an important role for you!
Here are answers to some common questions.
Will I get vaccinated if I volunteer? Pima County requires that all volunteers work 36 hours at the POD to get vaccinated. We keep a running list each day and do our best to use whatever doses are left over to get as many volunteers as possible vaccinated, but we can't guarantee you will get your shot on your first shift.
If I am not vaccinated, what are the risks? All volunteers and staff are expected to keep their distance as much as possible, wear surgical masks provided on site and not show up if you are feeling even a little bit sick. It is not no risk, but attention to infection control is key and everyone's responsibility.
I'm not a clinician. What can I do to help? LOTS of things! We actually need far more non-medical volunteers than medical to make the POD function effectively. Jobs vary from greeter, screener, runner, observation, volunteer coordinator, etc. You don't have to know what any of that means; we will train you when you show up. Some jobs require standing/walking, others can sit more. Just let us know if you need any accommodations – we can make it work!
I am a licensed clinician. Can I help vaccinate? Yes! There are additional forms you need to fill out, but once we have all your credentials on file, we can include you on the medical team.
I am a student who is trained to give shots. Can I do so at the POD? Not at this time, but we still need help in all different parts of the POD, including observing people for reactions afterwards.
What are the expected hours of operation? Next week will are asking for one 8-hour shift (exact times will be emailed, likely 8-5 or 9-6). We will be moving to two 6-hour shifts per day starting in February. You will be able to use our online scheduling software to sign up for days and times that work for you.
What are the expected days of operation? The POD will be running Monday-Saturday and closed Sunday until we hear otherwise.
Can I direct my friends or family to the POD if they are in the 1B group? Please don't. We can only take people who have an appointment through the Pima County system. Determining the number of doses to thaw out each day is a critical decision and there is still a very limited number of doses given to Pima County from the state.
I heard University of Arizona people can get vaccinated at the walk-up site. Is that true? Yes, but the decision on who is put on that list every day is made by an ethics committee, which is off-site. People working at the POD are not able to influence those decisions. Those people are contacted by their supervisors each day as limited slots open up.