Panhandle residents 65 and older, or persons with medical conditions are being encouraged to sign up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as the Panhandle is set to receive 1,100 doses of the vaccine, including the required second dose, each week.
Officials with Panhandle COVID-19 Unified Command noted that the doses will be allocated to each county based on the percentage of the population. Those eligible are encouraged to sign up by filling out the form located at https://tinyurl.com/ycpxzr5d or by calling 308-262-5764 or 308-633-2866 extension 101.
More that 4,700 people has signed up to receive the vaccine, and, as of Monday, 4,385 people have received the vaccine.
“There are over 15,000 Panhandle residents in the 65+ age range,” Panhandle Public Health District Director Kim Engel said in a press release on Monday. “We are grateful for the vaccine allocation increase and ask all that have called or registered online for the vaccination, please continue to be patient. The list is coordinated with community vaccine providers and they are doing their best locally to get shots in arms.”
On Monday, Box Butte General Hospital issued a press release encouraging people to join the waitlist to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. They noted that they have administered 600 doses since they received the vaccine on Dec. 22, 2020.
“While there are currently no vaccines available in the community, there is a waitlist that may be joined,” the press release stated. “Call the BBGH hotline voicemail, 308.761.3097 or visit pphd.org to join the vaccine waitlist.”
BBGH officials encourage people to continue taking measures to limit the spread of the virus.
“What is important to know about the Moderna vaccine is that you may still get the COVID-19 virus for about two weeks after receiving the vaccination. It is vital to continue to practice social distancing, hand washing, and wearing a mask in public to continue to ensure the wellness of the community,” the press release stated.
“A second dose of the vaccine will need to be received 28 days after the first dose. Symptoms of COVID-19 may arise but will subside within one to seven days. The Moderna vaccine does not alter DNA or DNA of a cell, and it is a synthetic vaccine meaning it doesn’t give you the virus. There were no shortcuts taken in the development of this vaccine, it was developed using the RNA (ribonucleic acid- a molecule that carries messages from DNA to proteins) technology that has been used for the past 10 years,” the press release stated.
The general population, based on the current timeline, is expected to be eligible for the vaccine between May and July, though the timeline is subject to change.
As of Monday, there has been a total of 868 positive COVID-19 cases in Box Butte County since testing began in March 2020, with 35 of those cases occurring in the last 14 days. Eight of those cases resulted in death.