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COVID-19 vaccine distribution continues in Rock County

Local public health officials say Rock County’s vaccine rollout is going according to plan.
“Right now we are in the midst of Phase 1a for COVID vaccination,” said Jason Kloss of Southwest Health and Human Services.
The people prioritized to receive the vaccine in this phase include health care staff, EMS personnel, and workers and residents of long-term care facilities.
“Hospitals and clinics in our region have received their first shipment of vaccine and started to vaccinate their staff,” Kloss said.
“SWHHS has also received our first shipment of vaccine and will be offering the vaccine to EMS personnel starting this week.”
He said long-term care facilities in the region have signed contracts with approved pharmacies and are scheduled to have residents and staff vaccinated starting this week through the early part of January.
“… I hope, depending on how much vaccine the applicable pharmacy received,” Kloss said.
“We will be moving to these subsequent phases as more vaccine becomes available.”
Phase 1b includes frontline essential workers, teachers and persons 75 years or older.
Phase 1c includes other essential workers and persons 65 to 74 years old and persons 16 to 64 years old with high-risk medical conditions.
“Keep in mind that this is only the first of a two-dose vaccination,” Kloss said. “The second dose must be given within about 30 days of the first dose.”
This means health care and EMS personnel and long-term care facilities will need to be given another dose in about 30 days to receive full protection from COVID-19.
“This will likely delay the progression to the subsequent phases,” Kloss said.
There have been 138 doses of the vaccine administered in Rock County as of Monday.
Public Health received another 200 doses last week that it will begin to dispense to EMS personnel starting this week.

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