No vaccine yet? More chances coming soon

A large number of individuals were vaccinated at the Perry Park Center Jan. 29. However, what about those who were unable to attend and get the first dosage.
“We know there is still a large group of our community that qualifies and has not yet been vaccinated,” Forester said. “We also know this event may not have been ideal for all community members.”
Forester wants the public to know the county is taking all the steps it can to get the vaccines it does receive administered to those in need.
“Our health department is doing everything it can to receive and administer vaccine as soon as possible,” she said. “Moving forward, we hope to have other opportunities, by appointment, within our office that may be more ideal for some community members. With the Pfizer vaccine in particular and how quickly the vaccine has to be used due to storage limitations, the event held on Friday was the quickest way to get a large number of individuals vaccinated.”
Hospitals will be where much of the vaccine is distributed, according to Forester.
“At this time, the state is not prioritizing health departments to receive the vaccine. Instead, they have selected area hospitals to receive and administer the bulk of current vaccine supplies.”
Forester was grateful for the amount of vaccine the health department received late last month for the Jan. 29 vaccination event.
“Our small, rural health department was able to obtain and administer over 1200 doses of vaccine with the help of our local hospital and other partners.
Forester pointed out larger communities in Missouri are also conducting vaccination events with two and three times as many staff and with additional help through the state by means of the National Guard.
“I’m so grateful for our staff and volunteers and what they were able to accomplish,” Forester said.
The Jan. 29 event is being evaluated to see ways to improve and better serve residents, according to Forester.
“We are reviewing the event and identifying areas to improve and areas to sustain so that we can apply them in future events,” she said.

Forester is not certain when additional vaccine will be distributed to the area, though opens have been made.
“We are placing orders for more vaccine every opportunity that is available to us,” she said. “Unfortunately, the state continues to have limited supply compared to the demand. When we do receive vaccine, we are notified just days before its arrival.”
The Perry County Health Department plans to announce additional vaccination opportunities via its web site and Facebook pages.
Earlier this week, appointments were filled for the administering of fewer than 200 Moderna vaccine dosages for Feb. 5.
The clinic was designed for those ages 65 and older, healthcare workers, long-term care facility residents and staff, first responders, emergency services and public health infrastructure as well as adults with other pre-existing conditions.
“While we are still going to try our best to get additional vaccine within our office, we would encourage individuals to utilize other channels to receive the vaccine as well,” Forester said.
The state of Missouri is expanding drive thru vaccination clinics with support from the Missouri National Guard. While none are planned to occur in Perry County, any Missourian can receive vaccine at one of these drive thru event.
This is another way for individuals to seek the vaccination, Forester said.
A walk-thru clinic will take place in Farmington Feb. 5. However, that is already full. The only places with openings for mass vaccination clinics tomorrow are in Caruthersville and Kansas City area.
To see the full list of locations by region, go to covidvaccine.mo.gov/events/.
For those residing in nursing homes, the federal government has a program to administer vaccines through Walgreen’s and CVS pharmacies.
For additional information about the state’s efforts in coordinating vaccination efforts, go to mostopscovid.com.
The county places orders weekly for COVID-19 vaccine, Forester said. At this time, the state of Missouri get about 75,000 doses delivered each week, though the demand for that is nearly 150,000.