News & Events

COVID Vaccine Clinic

Description: Rafter and I attended a COVID vaccine clinic for children ages 5 to 11 years old at Melrose Elementary School in Jamestown, RI. The clinic was sponsored by the town and the comfort dogs were requested by the police department. They got our contact information through our membership in the Rhode Island VOAD. As requested, we arrived at the clinic about a half hour before the children started arriving. This gave us an opportunity to get settled and meet all the volunteers helping with the clinic. The clinic was held in the school gymnasium, and we were stationed in the observation area where the children and their parents spent 15 minutes after their vaccine to be sure they did not have a serious reaction. Nearly all of the children who were vaccinated spent time visiting Rafter. Lots of the volunteers and many of the parents thanked us for coming and indicated what a good idea it was to have a comfort dog there. After having volunteered to help at the state vaccine clinics and gotten no response it was a good feeling to be requested for this event, especially since it involved children.