Indoor Tennis Court Transformed into Vaccination Center... "Emergency Treatment Within 5 Minutes"

Chungnam Cheonan Vaccination Center to Open Next Month... Pfizer Vaccine Inoculation Simulation Training

On the morning of the 17th, at the indoor tennis court vaccination center set up in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, medical staff are examining a vaccine recipient who was transferred to the emergency treatment room due to an adverse reaction during a local vaccination center drill. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] On the 17th, at the indoor tennis court in Cheonan City, Chungcheongnam-do, a local vaccination center was set up. As the COVID-19 vaccination for the general public is approaching next month, the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Task Force conducted a simulation drill here.

At the Cheonan City Vaccine Vaccination Center, Pfizer vaccines are administered. Vaccinations are planned for elderly care facilities and seniors aged 75 and above, with approximately 33,000 people in Cheonan City as the target group. Vaccinations will begin on April 5.

At around 9:20 a.m., a nurse wearing protective gear took the Pfizer vaccine out of the refrigerator. The vaccine had been stored in an ultra-low temperature freezer and thawed in the refrigerator for more than three hours before administration. The nurse then mixed the vaccine concentrate with saline and divided it into six syringes. Once divided into syringes, the Pfizer vaccine must be administered within six hours. The nurse announced the completion time of the vaccine preparation and carefully recorded it as part of the procedure.

The vaccination process proceeded in the order of reservation confirmation - medical questionnaire completion - medical examination - vaccination - electronic registration - adverse reaction observation. First, during the reservation confirmation stage, the vaccination eligibility and symptoms such as fever and respiratory issues were checked by submitting an ID. If the temperature was 37.5°C or higher, it was remeasured with a tympanic thermometer, and if still above 37.5°C, a diagnostic test was conducted at a screening clinic located within 100 meters of the vaccination center.

After completing the medical questionnaire, a nurse reviewed it initially and, if no issues were found, guided the individual to take a number ticket.

In the booth-style medical examination room, one doctor was stationed to check the vaccination eligibility of the individual. The doctor provided information about the vaccine type, possible adverse reactions such as allergic reactions and muscle pain, and how to respond. The doctor especially reconfirmed allergy history and decided whether the individual should wait for 15 or 30 minutes after vaccination.

On the morning of the 17th, vaccination recipients are receiving vaccines at a local vaccination center mock drill held at the indoor tennis court vaccination center in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam./Photo by Joint Press Corps

After moving to the vaccination waiting area, individuals took a number ticket and moved to the vaccination room when their number appeared above the booth. Inside the vaccination room, the nurse reconfirmed the individual's date of birth and injected the vaccine into the left upper arm deltoid muscle. The time from seating to injection took only about 10 to 15 seconds.

At this center, one team consists of four doctors and eight nurses, capable of vaccinating 600 people per day. With three teams operating, up to 1,800 people can be vaccinated daily.

After vaccination, individuals moved to the adverse reaction observation room, where a timer was set for 15 or 30 minutes per the doctor's judgment during the medical examination. Two firefighters and one observation nurse were stationed in the observation room.

On this day, the simulation drill also included emergency situation training. When a vaccinated person showed anaphylaxis symptoms and collapsed in the observation room, the observation nurse on duty pressed the emergency bell, which connected to the medical examination booth where the doctor was located.

Then, two 119 emergency medical technicians from the Chungnam Fire Station placed the patient on a stretcher and moved them to the adjacent emergency treatment room. The doctor asked about the patient's symptoms, checked blood pressure, and administered emergency treatment such as an epinephrine injection. It was notable that one administrative staff member recorded the entire emergency treatment process with timestamps.

On the morning of the 17th, at the indoor tennis court vaccination center set up in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, vaccination candidates are reading the information leaflet in the observation room after vaccination during a mock training exercise conducted at the local vaccination center. Photo by Joint Press Corps

An ambulance was waiting outside the exit. The patient was transported by ambulance with a doctor on board if necessary. The patient was taken to designated emergency medical centers (Dankook University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Chungmu Hospital), which take about 7 to 12 minutes, for treatment. In this simulation drill, the process from emergency occurrence to treatment and ambulance transport was completed within five minutes.

Park Hwa-young, head of the Cheonan City Vaccination Center Operations Team, said, “We tried to provide as much information as possible so that people coming for vaccination feel most comfortable and can understand the process just by observing the situation.” She added, “We realized that 5 to 10% of those who made reservations do not show up on the day, so we felt the need to prepare a standby list.”

Participant Ahn Young-mi said, “As a healthcare worker, I will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine tomorrow, but since I understood the flow and what to do through today’s drill, although I was nervous, I think I can do well.” She added, “After participating in today’s drill, I felt that there is no need to have anxiety about vaccination.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.