The Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) resumed administering COVID-19 vaccines to homebound patients Monday, April 26 in partnership with the Richmond City Health District (RCHD). The program began on April 12th in an effort to vaccinate RCHD’s homebound population who are unable to get to a vaccination site, doctor’s office or pharmacy. The program was briefly put on hold after the FDA recommended pausing use of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine due to rare cases of blood clotting. RAA successfully resumed homebound vaccinations using the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Use of the J&J vaccine in the future will be determined by RCHD.
“This is a great opportunity to provide yet another critical service to our patients and the citizens of Richmond,” said RAA CEO Chip Decker. “Our Paramedics and EMTs had already trained to assist with vaccinations at RCHD’s mass vaccination events, and we were thrilled when they approached us with this initiative to expand their vaccination efforts.”
This is one of the many programs RAA and RCHD have worked together on throughout the years.
“We have so much gratitude for our partners at RAA,” says Dr. Melissa Viray, Deputy Director of Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. “Their dedication, compassion, and reliability are a critical part of ensuring our community has access to COVID-19 vaccines.”
RAA and RCHD are continuing to provide homebound vaccinations. Residents interested in scheduling a homebound vaccination can call RCHD’s hotline at (804) 205-3501, Monday through Friday 8 am-5 pm, to schedule an appointment over the phone.
