Health Center Begins Vaccination Against COVID-19

The Clay County Public Health Center received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine this week. The shipment from Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services contained doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccines will be administered according to Missouri’s distribution plan and phases

These vaccines will be administered according to Missouri’s distribution plan and phases. The state is currently in Phase 1A of the vaccination plan. At this time, Clay County Public Health Center’s role will be to assist in vaccinating eligible health care workers who cannot be vaccinated through their employer.

“We are extremely excited that we can start offering vaccination against COVID-19 to the people of Clay County,” said Director of Public Health Gary E. Zaborac. “Although the process of vaccinating everyone will take months, this is a significant first step towards slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.”

The county’s clinics for the vaccination of health care workers will begin Monday. Employees of health care organizations who previously completed CCPHC’s interest form will be contacted through their employer to register online and make an appointment sometime within the upcoming weeks. Staff and volunteers who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work from home will be prioritized.

At this time, Clay County Public Health Center is not accepting registration for vaccination from anyone not in Phase 1A. Adults over age 65, those with high-risk conditions, essential workers and the remaining general public over age 16 are being asked to remain patient as the available vaccine supply grows and the focus of vaccine providers remains on those in Phase 1A. The public is advised to stay tuned to local media, their health department’s website and social media channels and with their health care provider to learn when vaccination will become available for them.

Clay County Public Health Center will not be the only source for residents to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, CVS and Walgreens are working to vaccinate staff and residents of long-term care facilities as part of an agreement with the federal government. Once in Phase 1B and beyond, vaccination will likely be available through health care providers, employers, local pharmacies and more.

The health center’s COVID-19 vaccine website – clayhealth.com/covidvaccine –can help residents find facts to help make an informed choice about whether they wish to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The state of Missouri’s site, MOStopsCOVID.com is also a valuable place to find vaccine information and updates.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts contributed to this story