Berkshires Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccine With Minimal Problems

Berkshire County held it’s third COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Tuesday at the Berkshire Community College.

According to a story reported on by WTEN/10 News Albany, the clinic included one of the first people in the county who contracted the coronavirus.

The Pittsfield County Health Department vaccinated 380 residents with the Moderna vaccine. The clinic was for residents who qualified under Phase 1A and Phase 1B. Many of them included first responders, and health care workers.

Lt. John Soules of the Pittsfield Police Department said, "I’m not a tough guy by any means, but it didn’t hurt at all."

Lieutenant Soules was one of the first in Berkshire County to contract COVID-19. He says he luckily only had mild symptoms. After hearing he qualified for the vaccine, he says that was even more of a reason to get the shot.

Soules went on to explain:

I obviously wanted to get the vaccine so I don’t get the virus again or get it worse. I don’t want to affect anyone else. I also have elderly parents and I have a father who has serious health issues.

In response to inquiries regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, the Pittsfield Health Department established a new hotline last week to provide residents with updated information. The hotline is 413-449-5575.

The Pittsfield Health Department COVID-19 vaccination hotline includes what phase of vaccinations the county is on, who is eligible, and more information on the vaccine.

Dr. Alan Kulberg, Chair of the Pittsfield Board of Health, said, "It’s just been a very large volume of calls. So we figured if we could deflect some of those calls about the vaccine, our hotline could answer questions pre-recorded. This has made our work just a little bit more manageable."

Dr. Kulberg says when it comes to the vaccine rollout, the county hasn’t had any computer crashes, just a backlog on phone calls. He says people who are eligible can make appointments for the vaccine online.

Dr. Kulberg says the vaccine rollout in Berkshire County has been going pretty smoothly so far.

Berkshire County says they are holding vaccination clinics every Tuesday and Thursday through February at the Berkshire Community College with appointment only.

For much more on the story, please check out WTEN/10 News' website here.