RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The 86th Healthcare Operations Squadron is conducting its annual two-week influenza point of distribution, or POD, at the En-route Patient Staging facility at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 20 - 31.
The purpose of the event was to vaccinate the Kaiserslautern Military Community and maintain medical readiness.
The first week of the event is open Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for active duty service members and first responders, and Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. the following week for beneficiaries such as retirees, dependents, civilian employees and contractors covered by TRICARE.
Children, ages four and below, may also receive their vaccines at the immunizations clinic, which offers a fast-track station for families.
“The vaccine we give is trivalent, meaning it protects against three different flu strains,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Hernan Jaco Araujo, 86th HCOS noncommissioned officer in charge of the immunizations clinic. “Vaccines are one of the top medical advances in human history, second only to clean water.”
The POD setup allows the medical team to streamline vaccinations for the entire base population, a capability that is tested annually to ensure preparedness in case of a large-scale immunization event in response to a virus outbreak.
“It’s our proof of concept,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Debra Burden, 86th HCOS primary care flight commander. “The goal is to vaccinate the entire installation within 96 hours if needed. This ensures that if a real-world scenario happens, then we can protect everyone quickly.”
Ramstein’s Department of Defense Education Activity schools continue to require influenza vaccinations for students, making the POD event all the more necessary.
“Here in the KMC, it remains mandatory,” Burden said. “Children must be vaccinated to attend school or participate in child and youth services programs.”
For active duty members, the vaccine is a readiness requirement. Failure to receive it results in an Individual Medical Readiness item flag, which can delay permanent change of station moves and deployments.
The immunization process at the POD is designed for efficiency. Patients complete a short health questionnaire, check in, receive their vaccination and check out all within minutes.
Burden emphasized the importance of basic hygiene and responsible behavior to prevent the spread of the flu.
“We encourage frequent handwashing, coughing into your elbow instead of your hands and staying at home if you’re sick,” Burden said. “If you’re ill, don’t try to tough it out at work or school, you’ll only spread it further.”