NORWICH – Downtown Norwich is the place to be on Thursday evenings thanks to NBT Bank’s free Summer Concert Series. The weekly musical performances, presented by the Chenango Blues Association, draw hundreds of music lovers of all ages to East Park each week throughout July and August.

This Thursday, they’ll have the chance to groove to the New Orleans sound of Tuba Skinny and – if they’re so inclined – get the COVID vaccine while they’re at it.

“We’re excited to partner with our friends at the Chenango Blues Association to make the vaccine available at the event,” said David Finney, Vice President of Clinical Services at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital. “We will have several doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on-hand. It will be first come, first serve with no appointment necessary.”

Finney and his colleagues on the hospital’s vaccination team will be set up opposite the stage near the gazebo; from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Anyone 18 or older is eligible to receive the vaccine.

“It was great of UHS Chenango Memorial to reach out to us about the possibility of doing something like this. We are glad to see so much effort going in to making the vaccines available to everyone in the community,” said Eric Larsen, chair of the Chenango Blues Association.

“While we know some are reluctant to get the shot, we really believe it’s the right thing to do to protect everyone and to ensure that gatherings like the NBT Summer Concert Series can continue to take place safely,” Larsen said.

According to Finney, anyone who receives the single-dose vaccine at the event will be considered fully vaccinated in two weeks.

In addition to Thursday’s pop up vaccine clinic, UHS Chenango Memorial continues to host regular weekly clinics at the hospital. Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment to receive the vaccine can do so by calling the CMH COVID Vaccine Line at (607) 337-4888.

More information about the vaccine is available at SouthernTierVax.org.

UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital is a member of United Health Services, a locally owned not-for-profit 916-bed hospital and health care system serving the Greater Binghamton region from more than 40 locations around New York’s Southern Tier.

-From UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital