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Back to Article List County Seeks Volunteer Licensed Vaccinators! Release Date: July 22, 2009 County Seeks Volunteer Licensed Vaccinators! Cape May Court House – Freeholder Gerald Thornton announced that the county is seeking volunteers who are licensed vaccinators to join the Cape May County Medical Reserve Corps.  Since its inception in September 2005, this vital community organization has grown to include more than one hundred medical and community volunteers. Freeholder Thornton said, “Given the novel influenza A (H1N1) situation and the potentially significant need for vaccination assistance, the Department of Health is asking for volunteers to enroll in the Cape May County MRC. Although licensed vaccinators are greatly needed, other volunteers are also invited to join.” In response to the current novel influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, the Cape May County Department of Health is planning for a possible large-scale vaccination program this fall. Freeholder Gerald Thornton commented, “While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not yet issued specific vaccination guidelines, the county is putting various strategies into place to be able to vaccinate the county’s population, which in the winter is approximately 96,000 and in the summer can be over 650,000 people.” To succeed in this effort, the County Department of Health needs assistance from persons who are licensed to provide vaccinations in NJ. The Cape May County Department of Health has an active Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), which is a group of volunteers registered with the County to assist in emergency preparedness and response efforts. The MRC has volunteers from various professions, including physicians, pharmacists, dentists, counselors, chaplains, interpreters, office workers, and legal advisors. Health Officer Kevin Thomas added, “By having a group of registered MRC volunteers, the County can reach out to this group in an emergency and request assistance in a variety of ways.”   MRC volunteers supplement existing local emergency and public health resources. Its members promote disease prevention, improve health literacy, assist with vaccination clinics, participate in emergency preparedness exercises, eliminate health disparities, and enhance public health preparedness. If you would like to become an MRC volunteer, go to the Department of Health’s website at www.cmchealth.net , and click on, “JOIN MRC” to fill out an application. You can also email rglynn@co.cape-may.nj.us  or call (609) 463-6575 for further information.

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