By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — A COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be rolling into town. Literally.

On Friday, Dec. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m., a mobile vaccine clinic will be parked in front of the Casco Fire Station and the Casco Town Hall, 635 Meadow Road. 

The COVID vaccinations and boosters are free to the public. 

However, the seasonal flu vaccinations —  which will also be available during the Dec. 10 clinic — are not free. People can use their insurance to pay for those shots. 

That is according to the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce (SLRCC) Executive Director Robin Mullins, who has been involved in coordinating the clinics for the chamber’s communities. 

Another important fact: The mobile clinic will take anyone no matter where they live.

“You don’t have to be a Casco resident to go,” Mullins said.

Anybody can show up to the vaccine clinic as long as there are still vaccines, she said. 

“When they run out, they run out. I don’t know how many vaccinations they have,” she said. 

The Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson& Johnson vaccines will be offered.  

Mullins said that Casco Town Manager Anthony “Tony” Ward responded positively to the idea of having the clinic in Casco, and did what he could to make it a reality. 

“He was 100 percent on board with doing this. Immediately, he got his fire chief to approve the space,” Mullins said. “I know the other town managers are excited to, but we are limited with staffing and stuff like that.”

The chamber got involved after receiving a phone call from Bridgton resident Melinda Thomas. 

Thomas said it would be a good idea to set up vaccination clinics in the communities in the Lakes region. Thomas is employed with the New England Arba American Organization (NEAAO). She thought the chamber’s executive director would be a good liaison for that task, Mullins said.

SLRCC represents eight towns: Casco, Naples, Gray, New Gloucester, Raymond, Sebago, Standish, and Windham.

“I’ve already been in touch with all those town managers. Unfortunately, there has been a lack of nursing folks to be able to do these,” Mullins said. 

“We’ve had them set up, but we had to cancel,” she said.

Also, once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized use of a COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 15 years old, that changed the logistics of the mobile clinics.

The towns are notifying people about the clinics.

“The Town of Casco put it on it Facebook page. We just let them run with it,” she said.

The sponsors of the vaccine clinic are the SLRCC, Opportunity Alliance, Community Pharmacies based in Augusta, MeCAP, and NEAAO. 

If getting a ride to next week’s mobile clinic is an issue, there is a solution. 

“If there is someone who really needs to have the COVID shot and needs transportation, we can work with someone to get them there. They can call the chamber and we will set that up,” Mullins said.

The chamber of commerce’s number is (207) 892-8265.

Casco Town Manager Ward emphasized that the clinic is being held outside of the town office in a mobile van,

“The clinic is not taking place inside the town buildings. We are offering the space for an RV to park in the parking lot,” Ward said.