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310th Space Wing takes aim at COVID-19 with mass vaccination effort

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Marko Salopek
  • 310th Space Wing

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. –

The 310th Space Wing’s Aerospace Medicine Flight worked with the 302nd Aeromedical Staging Squadron to conduct a mass COVID-19 vaccination event at the Peterson AFB gym, April 11.

The event involved the coordination of more than 50 medical personnel from both the 310th Space Wing and the 302nd Airlift Wing to distribute the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during the Unit Training Assembly weekend.

 “The biggest reason [for the coordination] was because we were short on medics and skilled crew if we wanted to get all traditional reservists in at once,” said Staff Sgt. Mica Contreras, a 310th SW aeromedical technician. “To be able to vaccinate them, we needed more hands on deck. With the 302nd being a much larger squadron, they already have their stuff set up and they were willing to help us in manning purposes. We’re grateful for their help.”

Contreras stated that the 310th SW has ten medical personnel capable of administering vaccines, while the 302nd has approximately 77.

Prior to the event, the 310th AMDF was able to provide 186 initial vaccine doses since March 10 due to limited manpower. Thanks to support from the 302nd ASTS, Contreras says they can administer up to 200 people in an afternoon. She is hopeful that every reservist who wants the vaccine will be able to get it by July.

“With more people who are vaccinated, obviously our communal immunity is better and the world can slowly start going back to normal,” said Contreras. “The wing can start going back to normal as far as training, etc., and because a lot of our wing does mobilize that's a big factor for us.”

Individuals who volunteered to get vaccinated received the Moderna COVID-19 variant. It is an mRNA based vaccine that is administered in a two-dose series. The second dose is administered 28 days after the initial one.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fully vaccinated individuals can gather indoors with other fully vaccinated individuals without wearing masks or social distancing. Additionally, fully vaccinated individuals traveling within the United States do not need to be tested before or after travel and do not need to self-quarantine.