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Three hundred Rock County residents 75 and older received the COVID-19 vaccine this week at Grand Prairie Events in Luverne.
Jason Kloss of Southwest Health and Human Services said local health professionals have had to respond quickly with schedules and communication as vaccine doses become available on short notice.
“I was informed on Friday that SWHHS would be receiving 300 doses the next week,” Kloss said Saturday.
“We are charged to get the vaccine out in 72 hours. … Our clinic schedule will become more routine as supplies increase.”
By Monday morning, 250 people had already reserved appointments for Wednesday’s clinic at Grand Prairie Events. Only people with appointments were able to participate and only people from Rock County.
Meanwhile, 140 Sanford Luverne patients 85 and older were vaccinated last week, and 45 more will be done this week.
“So many of the people that we had come in Friday dressed up for the day,” said Sanford Luverne’s Tammy Loosbrock.
“They were excited, and several said they hadn’t been out of the house much if at all since last March. A few described it as the best Christmas present, and a couple said it was a gift from heaven. It truly warmed your heart to be able to be a part of the day.”
In total, not including this week, she said 630 first doses and 237 second doses have been administered.
“We are continuing the 85-plus group and plan to move into the 80- to 84-year-old group next,” Loosbrock said.
Mixed messages
Messaging has been challenging for residents who are provided information about “phases” and sub-categories of people eligible for the shot. Often the vaccine is offered to different groups simultaneously at different locations.
“We are targeting the 75 and older group and any Phase 1a that have not received the vaccine yet,” Kloss said.
“If we have leftover appointments, we will plan to have a call list for teachers and day care providers. MDH has not given us permission to expand to Phase 1b essential workers yet.”
To be put on the call list, go to swmhhs.com.
“Residents can enter their contact information and we will notifiy them of vaccine opportunities that we schedule,” Kloss said. “We also will use this list to contact people if there are extra doses at a clinic. We will randomly select people according to priority group.”
Sanford Luverne has focused on their patients 85 and older with the small amounts of vaccine it receives each week.
Counting the Wednesday vaccine clinic, Rock County’s vaccination rate is at nearly 10 percent, which compares with about 8 percent of people vaccinated statewide.
Gov. Tim Walz on Monday announced 35,000 more vaccine doses would be made available to Minnesotans 65 and older at 100 clinics, hospitals and vaccination sites statewide.
Also on Monday, the state launched an online vaccine finder to help connect Minnesotans 65 and older to vaccination opportunities in communities near where they live.
State officials also released a vaccine locater map showing where providers and clinics are offering shots.
It’s found at https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine. While the locator currently provides information for seniors, it will expand over time as more Minnesotans become eligible for the vaccine.
The majority of people in Phase 1a have been vaccinated.
This group includes health care workers, EMS, nursing home and assisted living facility staff and residents, dental offices, pharmacies, mental/behavioral health settings, school nurses, funeral directors, correctional settings, and group homes settings.
Phase 1b includes teachers, grocery store workers, fire, food processing, day care workers, correctional workers, public transit and postal workers, as well as the 75-and-older population.
Staff in education and child care settings will be contacted directly if selected to sign up for appointments for the vaccine at a state site or community pharmacy this week.
Local public health departments will partner directly with school and child care programs in their communities.