JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo– Health Department officials here said they are ready to vaccinate eligible residents, but are still waiting on its shipment of the Moderna vaccine.
The department is hoping to have a first shipment by the end of next week, or the beginning of the following week.
“There’s extremely limited supply within the county at this point,” Vollmar said. “Some of the larger health departments who have the capacity for the ultra-cold freezers have the vaccine because they have Pfizer, the Moderna, which is what most health departments across the state are able to house, is being distributed to the long-term care facilities right now, so until they are immunized, that vaccine is on hold to the local public health departments.”
Vollmar said the department worked with partners at Mercy to vaccinate their own health department workers so they are immunized by the time they are giving the shot to the community.
“It is frustrating to not have access to the vaccine,” she said. “To be able to get our hands on them for distribution, we’ve got plans in place, we’re ready to go, it’s just a matter of getting our hands on the vaccine.”
She said in the meantime they are preparing, so they can be ready the moment the vaccine is delivered. Part of that planning so far includes ordering extra PPE for those giving the vaccines, and having 3 mobile vaccine vans that can travel to immunize residents on the go.
The department also launched an online portal, asking Jefferson County residents to fill out the COVID-19 vaccine info request form if you are interested in receiving the vaccine. Once completed, you will be contacted when you are eligible to receive the vaccine. You can find a link to that form here.
While county health officials wait for the Moderna vaccine, they are trying to find a way to house the Pfizer vaccine, which needs the ultra-cold system to house it. Smaller health departments typically don’t have that kind of capacity.
