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Information available on vaccinations, transportation to sites

Thirty-six senior residents at Beverly P. White Towers on North Maple Street got their first vaccinations Thursday morning.

The COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer was administered to the residents by staff of Walgreen’s, one of the big national pharmacy companies that was the first to be given one of the three vaccines currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The other vaccines are made by Moderna, the one the Clark County Health Department has been administering, and the new one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was just approved last weekend.

The Walgreen’s employees are scheduled to be back in three weeks to administer second doses to the Beverly White residents, which is expected to boost their immunity to the novel coronavirus to higher than 90 percent effectiveness.

The high-rise apartment building is part of the Housing Authority of Winchester.

Walgreen’s has also given the Pfizer shots to nursing home and assisted living center residents, and the Health Department has vaccinated first responders and hundreds of teachers and other school employees who have signed up, and it has started giving shots to those in the 1B group, which includes members of the general public who are age 70 or older.

Becky Kissick, the public health director, said last Saturday the Health Department should begin vaccinating members of the 1C group in the near future. That group includes people 60 years or older, those 16 or older with health issues, and essential workers.

In his daily media briefing Wednesday, Gov. Andy Beshear said that at least 731,000 Kentuckians have had at least the first shot of one of the COVID-19 vaccines. That’s about one-sixth of Kentucky’s population of nearly 4.5 million.

Also on Wednesday, President Joe Biden said he now believes there will be sufficient vaccine for every American to be vaccinated by the end of May.

The Clark County Health Department has been overwhelmed by phone calls to its main number, 744-4482, for scheduling COVID vaccinations, so it has set up an email box for ClarkHDDoc@ky.gov to handle those requests as well.

Those who want to get on the waiting list may also go online and register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LNYF2J6

Those who have already called or emailed the Health Department to be added to the waiting list are asked not to register again.

Daily updates from the Health Department on COVID vaccinations are available at daily updates on vaccinations are available by calling the Clark County Vaccine Information Line at 859-745-7995.

Kentucky’s COVID-19 Vaccine Website, vaccine.ky.gov, shows people which phase they are in specifically, and they can sign up for notifications so state officials can communicate with them when doses become available at new and existing sites.

Vaccine.ky.gov also lists regional vaccination partners statewide, so people can search their county or region and see how to schedule an appointment.

There’s is a state COVID-19 vaccine hotline, 855-598-2246, that has the same features as the website. Kentuckians can get assistance completing the vaccine eligibility questionnaire and scheduling an appointment when doses are available.

Free or reduced-cost transportation to and from vaccine appointments is offered by public transit agencies. These services are already operating in over 90 counties, covering 75% of all counties in Kentucky.

Kentuckians can find transportation services near them by heading to kycovid19.ky.gov for a full list of participating public transit agencies and their phone numbers, or by calling the Kentucky COVID-19 vaccine hotline.