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Milton Firefighters help kids get vaccinated By CHAMIAN CRUZ chamian@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — Cricket Collins’ two boys closely watched as she got her COVID-19 booster shot from Milton Deputy Fire Marshal Johnny Gomez. She said 8-year-old Liam and 10-year-old Henry Collins had already received their first dose of the vaccine, but that they had been nervous when they got it. So, to put them at ease, she invited them along to watch her get a booster from the Milton Fire Department Dec. 2. “It was just so they knew everybody’s doing it, and it really doesn’t hurt,” she said. The Milton Fire Department resumed its COVID-19 vaccine clinics at Community Place next to City Hall in midNovember. All three vaccine options – Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer – are available and, for the first time, so are shots for eligible children. The clinics are available to anyone who qualifies, not just Milton residents. Launched last spring as an extension of Milton Fire, Community Advocates for Referral and Education Services is a free outreach and assistance program that bridges the gap between emergency care and everyday health care needs. It conducts the clinics in partnership with ReVue Pharmacy. In addition to specially trained firefighters, CARES uses Fire Department volunteers from the Community Emergency Response Team program to offer free health screenings to check blood pressure, heart rhythm abnormalities and more at the vaccine clinics. Fire Chief Gabe Benmoussa said the emergence of the COVID-19 omicron variant and the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization for Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11 prompted the
City appoints new manager for Economic Engagement By CHAMIAN CRUZ chamian@appenmedia.com
CHAMIAN CRUZ/APPEN MEDIA
From left, Milton Deputy Fire Marshal Johnny Gomez gives resident Cricket Collins a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine Dec. 2 as her sons, Liam and Henry Collins, provide support. Cricket Collins said she is Type 1 diabetic, so because she is immunocompromised, her doctor recommended that she get a booster. department to revive the clinics. So far, there seems to be community interest. Benmoussa said that in four days, firefighters administered about 200 vaccines on adults and about 40 to kids. The Centers for Disease Control states the Pfizer vaccine is over 90% effective at preventing COVID-19 in children ages 5 to 11 and will reduce their risk of severe disease, hospitalization or long-term COVID-19 complications. After receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, children may experience similar side effects as those seen in adults and with other vaccines, the most common being a sore arm, the CDC says. Capt. Mark Haskins, the department’s new medical services officer, said
that since rebooting the clinics, 515 people have been vaccinated, including approximately 46 children between the ages of 5 and 11. Firefighters are also going out into the community. On Dec. 8, Milton firefighters provided 44 doses to seniors at The Phoenix at Milton assisted living facility. Top infectious disease doctor Anthony Fauci has said that booster shots will be an essential tool to keep infections under control throughout the holidays. The CDC also recommends booster shots for all adults and gives them the option to get a different version than they originally received. As of Dec. 10, the Georgia Depart-
See VACCINATED, Page 6
MILTON, Ga. — Anita Jupin is stepping up as Milton’s new Economic Engagement manager. The position, which falls under the Communications and Engagement Department, is a slightly modified version of the Economic Development manager role Sarah LaDart previously held for seven years. In an August social media post, LaDart said she was leaving the City of Milton to move to Athens with her family. She thanked the city for all the opportunities it gave her over the years to lead the Economic Development Department and to serve Milton and the business community. “Among countless other incredible projects, I worked cross-departmentally to revise our Alcohol Ordinance, was on the leadership team for the latest strategic plan and created what eventually became the Milton Arts Council,” LaDart wrote. “Most importantly, I was surrounded by a distinguished group of colleagues and friends.”
See JUPIN, Page 16