Eligibility for COVID vaccine will expand
Hundreds of Chickasaw County residents became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but it may be a while before they can actually get their shots.
The Iowa Department of Public Health last Thursday night announced that it was adding individuals that have underlying medical conditions to Phase 1B of the vaccination process, but the rub is this: County public health departments, for the most part, will not be getting more vaccine, at least in the short-term future.
“We’re going to get the same amount of vaccine that we’ve been getting,” Chickasaw County Public Health and Homecare Services Administrator Lisa Welter said, “so for now, that means about 200 a week. We’ll start compiling a list, but I want to emphasize that it still could be weeks before people on the list get a call to get the vaccine.”
Welter and her staff have set up a directed line to add the newest “subgroup” members to its vaccine list. That number is 641-229-8013 and will be manned every day this week except Thursday.
The process will work very much like it did for those ages 65 and older who wanted to be vaccinated against the Coronavirus. Residents will call the number, confirm they have an underlying health condition and be placed on a list that Public Health will use to call residents when the department has vaccine for them.
----For the full story, please see the March 9 Tribune.