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Syracuse Medical Service Gives Free Vaccines Syracuse Medical Service Gives Free Vaccines

Drakos Clinical Laboratories offers free Covid-19 booster shots and flu shots.

By John Perik

Drakos worker preparing for clinic before doors opened.
© 2022 John Perik

SOPHIA MACIEJEWSKI, NCC NEWS ANCHOR: There’s a new way to get your flu shot this morning and it won’t cost you a dime. The Drakos Clinical Laboratories are providing free vaccines in East Syracuse right now. And that’s where N-C-C’s John Perik joins us LIVE to break down the event. John.

JOHN PERIK, NCC NEWS LIVE REPORTER: Here on route two-98 in East Syracuse, you can pull in, roll up your sleave, and leave your wallet in the car.

HEATHER DRAKE BIANCHI, COMPANY FOUNDER OF DRAKOS: Yeah we’re not making any money today but that’s okay. Because um the right think to do is to ofter offer a solution for public health.

PERIK: Heather Drake Bianchi is the company founder of Drakos. Today, she plans on giving over 100 patients free covid or flu shots.

DRAKE BIANCHI: We thought that it might be easy for people to come and get their vaccines now before any of these respiratory illnesses hit their peak.

PERIK: Today’s event also serves as an introduction to Drakos’s new mobile laboratory. Which event organizer Richard Nuzzo created.

RICHARD NUZZO, CINEMEDICS ASSOCIATE: That large truck is what we would use to do large event testing.

PERIK: So if you might be busy today.

DRAKE BIANCHI: We can come to you.

PERIK: But if you do have a second, Drakos staff members will be here until five O’Clock. Reporting live in East Syracuse, John Perik, N-C-C News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – On Tuesday, people received vaccines free of charge thanks to CineMedics, a company that usually provides mobile medical services to homes. Today, it offered free Covid-19 booster shots, flu shots, and metabolic analyses on Route 298 in East Syracuse. 

Drakos Clinical Laboratories in partnership with CineMedics, launched the event. Heather Drake, company founder and paramedic, said the event is aimed at giving healthcare workers a break.  

“When I look around and see how tired my medical colleagues are, I just thought, what can I do to take some of the burden off of them,” said Heather Drake. “Offering vaccines which are really easy to do, is just the first step.” 

Drake woke up at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, knowing she would work all day without making a dime. 

“Yeah, we’re not making any money today, but that’s okay,” said Drake. “Because the right thing to do is to offer a solution for public health.” 

During the event, Drakos Clinical Laboratories and CineMedics introduced a new medical service division, Mobile Integrated Health Services, which is a mobile medical laboratory, according to event organizer Richard Nuzzo. 

 

Red vaccination truck parked out of CineMedics headquarters.
CineMedics mobil laboratory.
© 2022 John Perik

“That large truck is what we would use to do a large event testing,” Nuzzo said. “We have used that in some of the largest film productions in the country.” 

The mobile laboratory has driven from coast to coast, from Boston to Hollywood, according to Nuzzo. The truck is now being used to serve the Central New York community. 

“If you can’t come here for your vaccine today, give us a call, and we will come to your office, your home; we can vaccinate anyone,” said Drake. “If you’re just getting a Covid vaccine, you would only need to pay 40 dollars for us to come.” 

Covid-19 cases are slowly rising again in Central New York, according to Drake.  

“We thought that it might be easy for people to come and get their vaccines now before any of these respiratory illnesses hit their peak,” said Drake.  

Drakos Clinical Laboratories and CineMedics plan on organizing a second Covid-19 booster shot and flu shot clinic this year.  

 

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