Seniors ages 75 and older will begin receiving COVID-19 vaccinations as early as today, but appointment times are quickly filling up, just a day after the Mississippi State Department of Health rolled out the program.
As of this morning, 10 of the 18 sites in the state where seniors can receive vaccines had no remaining appointments, including in Oktibbeha County. In Lowndes County, an appointment is not available until Jan. 28. In both counties, vaccines are distributed at the county health departments.
Oktibbeha County Emergency Services Director Kristen Campanella said more vaccination dates will be added in the near future and that testing in the county may soon be shifted to a larger facility. Mississippi Horse Park Director Bricklee Miller, who also serves as county supervisor for District 4, said she has talked to Campanella about using the facility for vaccines, but that decision has not been made yet.
“When I looked earlier today, the first appointment I could find here was on Jan. 20,” Campanella said. “They are obviously filling up very fast. At the start, the vaccinations are being done on Wednesdays and Fridays (9 a.m.-4 p.m.), but I expect a third day will be added pretty soon and we’re definitely working on finding a larger place.”
The free vaccines are available through appointment only by visiting covidvaccine.umc.edu online or by calling 877-978-6453. Prior to now, vaccinations were available only to health care workers and long-term care facility residents.
Those visiting the online site are first directed to a page that asks if you are a health care worker. After clicking “no,” visitors are asked if they are age 75 or older, then must answer seven screening questions before being taken to a page that lists the sites where the vaccinations are being performed. Any highlighted site means appointments are still available at that site. Those not highlighted have no remaining vaccination slots available.
Vaccinations in Lowndes County are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Vaccination programs have yet to be set up in Clay or Noxubee counties.
Campanella said one of the difficulties in vaccinating large numbers of people is time required.
“There is some paperwork involved, even though the vaccination itself only takes a few seconds,” Campanella said. “But once you are vaccinated, you have to be under observation for 15 minutes in case there are side effects. That’s what slows the process down. It takes about 20 minutes or so.”
Annette McElrath, 78, of Columbus said she has no plans to get the vaccine.
“I’m not able to be vaccinated because of my heart and my blood situation,” McElrath said. “I can’t even get the flu shot.”
She said she had contracted the virus in December.
“It was a lot like the flu,” she said. “The worst thing about it was I had to stay cooped up in my house for 14 days. Every time I wanted to sneak out (my son) would give me a sermon.”
Paul Ackerman learned of the vaccination for those 75 and older as he was working out on the treadmill at the downtown YMCA in Columbus.
“Terrific,” said Ackerman, 87. “I’ll definitely get the vaccine. Why wouldn’t I? That’s what we’ve all been waiting on all this time, right?”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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