“This one is quieter. All of our vaccinators are familiar with this population. We provide accommodation for those who need it,” says Dr. Wendy Ross, who is the director of Jefferson Health Center for Autism and Neurodiversity.
The waiting room only had two seats, and the staff had fidget spinners, headphones, and sunglasses on hand.
The clinic gave about 50 Johnson & Johnson vaccinations in more than six hours.
The healthcare providers say this slowed pace is what their IDD patients, people with intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities, need.
“Not everyone tolerates large crowds and lines, and I think the population we serve is particularly at high risk of contracting and dying from COVID,” Ross said.
Ross and her team studied more than 64 million COVID-19 cases and found that IDD patients were nearly six times more likely to die from the virus, the second highest risk factor next to age.
“A lot of people we know who fall into this category don’t really know how to protect themselves, or they can’t really tolerate this. I don’t like to tolerate this,” said Stanley Jaskiewicz, who took his son to the clinic . ‘He didn’t fit into any of the categories. We didn’t know where or when. ‘
Batisha Andrews is a Jefferson patient, just like her brother Shawn.
They both say that they are grateful for this clinic and that it is only one chance.
“I feel great that I have finally been able to get the vaccination,” she said.
After Jefferson’s study, 11 states, including Pennsylvania, changed their vaccine rollout to include IDD patients.
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