Vaccine recipient and volunteer experiences from COVID-19 mass vaccine clinics at a university campus: drive-through and walk-through approaches

Abstract

Purpose This cross-sectional study characterized the implementation and differences between drive-through (DTCs) and walk-through vaccination clinics (WTCs) during a 2021 mass vaccination effort at Georgia Southern (GS) University to inform future clinic designs. Methods Students, faculty, and staff participated as vaccine recipients or volunteers during the event. Pearson's Chi-square, Fisher's Exact, and qualitative methods (line-by-line open coding/focused and axial coding) compared DTC and WTC experiences collected through surveys. Crude and adjusted ordinal regression models assessed vaccination experience across clinics. Results 1294 COVID-19 vaccine recipients' and 222 volunteers' experiences were recorded. High vaccination satisfaction levels were observed in both clinics (91.79% (DTCs) vs. 95.17% (WTCs)), and no significant differences were observed in the vaccination satisfaction experience (aOR: 1.16 (0.60–2.31)). However, WTCs operated faster than DTCs, showcasing a shorter total median waiting time [30 min (IQR: 5–75) vs. 45 min (IQR: 1–180)]. High marks were observed in the volunteer training adequacy, job sheet accuracy, and equipment availability. In the qualitative analysis, a positive experience with well-organized clinics was observed in both clinic types. Conclusions With no significant differences recorded between clinics, future mass vaccination strategies should focus on optimizing site set-up, streamlining service delivery, and enhancing the overall recipient experience across all clinic types.