Vaccine supply woefully short

Staff report

The Iowa Department of Public Health on March 4 announced that vaccine providers in the state can begin vaccinating individuals 64 and younger with medical conditions that could increase their risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

There’s just one catch: Greene County’s state-allocated vaccine supply remains limited at 100 doses per week, according to Public Health Director Becky Wolf, while the Hy-Vee Pharmacy in Jefferson is allocated about 300 doses a week from the CDC Retail Pharmacy Program.

As of this past weekend, only 15 percent of Greene County residents 65 and older had been fully vaccinated, Wolf said. Forty-six percent of those residents had received one dose. Complicating matters, there are more than 1,200 people on the waiting lists of local vaccine providers — many since late January — according to Wolf.

As of Wednesday, the number of fully vaccinated people 65 and older increased to 24 percent.

To date, 2,687 doses have been provided to Greene County residents, with 897 fully vaccinated.

“We’ve done our best to simultaneously vaccinate our elders while also targeting health care workers, PK-12 and child care staff, and first responders,” Wolf said in a statement. “There simply is not enough vaccine for everyone, so we ask for your continued patience and understanding as we strive to be as fair and equitable as possible.”

The local vaccine providers are splitting up the work to get as many shots into people as possible.

Here’s where to go:

Hy-Vee Pharmacy (515-386-4151)

• 65 and older

• 64 and younger with conditions that put them at increased risk for severe illness, including cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, Down syndrome, heart conditions, weakened immune system, obesity (BMI of 30 or greater), pregnancy, sickle cell disease, smoking, Type 2 diabetes

• Health care providers

• PK-12 school staff and day care staff

• First responders

Greene County Public Health (515-386-0564)

• 65 and older

• Health care providers

• PK-12 school staff and day care staff

• First responders

• Individuals with disabilities who need attendant caregivers, and their attendant caregivers

• Essential workers in food, agriculture, distribution and manufacturing sectors who work or live in settings that make social distancing unfeasible, such as meatpacking plants

Medicap Pharmacy (515-386-2164)

• 65 and older

Greene County Family Medicine Clinic

• Oldest to youngest, 65 years of age and older

McFarland Clinic

• Oldest to youngest, 65 years of age and older