By Daniel Winningham
By most accounts, the mass Covid-19 vaccine clinic went well, though not all of those who showed up with the intent of getting a vaccination received one.
Well before the publicly advertised start time of 7 a.m., there were people waiting in line at the Perry Park Center in hopes of getting a Covid-19 vaccine Jan. 29.
“It went so smooth,” said Perry County Health Department director Sylvia Forester. “We got compliments all day long from the people that were here. We got compliments from the hospital workers that were here.”
The Park Center opens before 7 a.m. and many arriving early were allowed to enter the facility.
“They’re technically a warming center, so they’re not going to prevent people from coming inside,” Forester said.
Others waited in cars, though a non-socially distanced gathering of people began forming outside the main entrance.
“We were socially distancing inside between 5 and 7 (a.m.). We had bleachers pulled, we had seats out, once that was full we started socially distancing peopel down the hallways,” Forester said. “When that was full, we began socially distancing people in the theater.”
Assistant director Liz House admitted there was a rush right away. The line eventually dwindled down a little.
“There was such a backlog before 7 a.m. from peo-ple waiting in that line that is was hard to visually see it move,” House said. “People were constantly moving in here (the gym).”
House said an estimated 125 individuals were vaccinated in the first half hour. Shortly after 8 a.m., close to 300 had received the vaccine.
By about 10:30 a.m., the line was nearing the front of the door, according to House.
“We didn’t have a wait by 11 a.m.,” Forester added.
Shortly before 3 p.m., a couple of individuals arrived at the Park Center entrance in hopes of receiving the vaccination. They were told there were no more doses available.
When the vaccine clinic was being scheduled and first publicized, organizers were told there would be 975 doses. In total, there were 1,170 vaccines administered Friday.
Forester said the minimum order for the Pzifer version was 975, though they were later informed the amount, which was delivered was about 20 percent higher.
For Friday’s event, the health department received confirmation it would receive the vaccine Jan. 23 and it officially arrived Jan. 26.
The state of Missouri doesn’t confirm if the shipment will arrive until three days out, according to Forester.
House credited the work of those at the Park Center and hospital.
“This wouldn’t have been possible today without the hospital’s help and the Park Center staff,” House said.
Forester said the assistance of emergency management and community volunteers was very beneficial.
“Perry County Memorial Hospital was happy to offer our staff to support the health department’s mass vaccination efforts,” said Perry County Memorial Hospital interim CEO Chris Wibbenmeyer. “Overall, 1,261 vaccines were given in 7.5 hours. It was a true team effort.”
Waiting, even if it was multiple hours, appears to be the norm for those seeking the vaccination.
“Even if you have appointments, you’re still going to have a wait,” Forester said.
She cited a recent drive-thru clinic in Poplar Bluff which had those seeking the vaccine waiting up to five hours, even with appointments.
One individual called the newsroom, referring to Friday’s event as a “fiasco” and expressed disappointment that veterans had to wait in line an hour or longer in the cold prior to getting inside.
The second dosage is done by appointment. It will be given in 21 days (Feb. 19) and Forester said there will be appointments to ensure those that received the first dose can get the second shot.
“It’ll be spread out more throughout the day,” House said. “We will have appointments every 15 minutes.
“We won’t get done as fast, it’ll be a full day,” Forester said.
“It’s a federal vaccine, but we want to prioritize Perry County residents,” Forester said. “They had to fit the Missouri tiers.”
Friday’s mass vaccination is just the start of an effort to get as many residents vaccinated as soon as possible, according to both Forester and House.
“As soon as we get vaccine at the health department, we’re going to try to announce it and try to get people vaccinated whether it’s appointments in our office or doing another large event or something like that,” House said. “As soon as we get them we give them.”
As of Feb. 1, about 5.7 percent of Missourians had received one dose of the vaccine and 1.7 percent received the second dose, according to One for All, part of Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence powered by the Missouri Foundation for Health. Eligible residents are encouraged to pre-register for a vaccine with their local health department or health provider and wait for a vaccine appointment.
Missourians across all phase of the distribution level are encouraged to remain patient and watch for updates from health providers and public health departments.
State data shows more than 144,000 individuals have received the vaccine from Jan. 23-29, an average of 20,659 per day.
Health officials are still monitoring the spread of new variants of the virus that causes Covid-19. In order to help prevent the spread, residents are encouraged to practice several safety steps, including:
• Wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth;
• Stay home as much as possible. Limit outings to only necessary trips.
• Use curbside pickup instead of shopping or eating indoors
• Wash your hands frequently, with soap, for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home if you or anyone in your home is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
