Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
More receive shots as state expands vaccine phase timeline
Lincoln County Fire District No. 4 Chief Ryan Rettkowski receives his first dose of the Moderna vaccine aimed at preventing COVID-19. Rettkowski was one of 18 members of District No. 4 vaccinated Jan. 7.
DAVENPORT-The Lincoln County Health Department received 200 more doses of the Moderna vaccine aimed at preventing infection of COVID-19 Jan. 11. It is a beginning-of-the-week trend the department hopes will continue, and grow, on a weekly basis as the fight to curb the virus continues.
"We hope to receive even more than that each week eventually," Health Department Public Administrator Ed Dzedzy said.
700 vaccine doses have arrived in the county so far. 100 of those doses are the second dose for people who already received their first shot at the beginning of vaccine distribution. The health department has given 157 shots themselves, while the rest were disbursed for Lincoln Hospital and Odessa Memorial HealthCare Center to administer.
"Some people are still getting their first shot, while others are getting ready to get their second shot," Dzedzy said.
The Moderna vaccine requires two shots given four weeks apart to be effective, according to clinical data given by the Boston-based company. The vaccine is one of two approved in the United States for emergency use, but the other, by Pfizer and BioTech, needs to be stored at temperatures around -94 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a barrier for Lincoln County.
Worldwide, there are 43 vaccines in the early stages of testing safety and dosage, 20 vaccines in expanded safety trials, 20 vaccines in large-scale efficacy tests, eight vaccines in early or limited use and two approved for use, according to a New York Times vaccine tracker. One was abandoned after trials. Again, the Pfizer/BioTech and Moderna vaccines remain the only vaccines approved in the United States.
Lincoln County is still in phases A1 and A2 of the state's vaccine timeline, which concentrates on vaccinating high-risk healthcare workers, first responders, long-term care facility residents and other workers at risk in health care settings. Currently, the focus is on any fire, EMS and law enforcement workers and volunteers who wish to be vaccinated, Dzedzy said.
Several Fire District No. 5 firefighters received their first dosage of the Moderna vaccine, while 18 members of Fire District No. 4 received their first shot on Jan. 14. 50 more doses were expected to arrive in Wilbur on Jan. 13.
Sheriff Wade Magers has received his first vaccine dosage, as have several of his deputies, though Magers didn't want to disclose an exact number due to HIPAA law concerns.
Reardan police chief Andy Manke said he won't be getting the vaccine, as he was prescribed the Ivermectin drug by his doctor as a safety precaution against the virus. Ivermectin hasn't been approved as a COVID-19 treatment or preventative measure by the FDA, but can be used if explicitly prescribed by a healthcare provider and is acquired from a legitimate source, according to the FDA. Manke added that his reserve officers all declined the vaccine.
As the county receives more vaccine doses, the district is reaching out to some who fit into Phase B1 of the state's vaccine plan. That phase includes all people 70 years or older and all people 50 years or older in multigenerational households. Those in Phases A1 and A2 will still be prioritized, Dzedzy said, but once vials are opened, they must be used, so doses may as well be given to those in next stages.
"We want to reach those high-risk people and give them protection," Dzedzy said.
He added that the health district is continuing to ask firefighters in the county's eight fire districts if they would like the vaccine to ensure that population is taken care of. The health district is also looking ahead to future vaccine disbursement when the vaccine is ready for more citizens. "Mass clinics" would likely be set up for a drive-thru, masked, distanced vaccine administering scenario throughout the county.
State releases updated vaccine timeline
The state unveiled an estimated timeline for vaccine allotment through April. The estimated timeline indicates completion of phases A1, A2 and B1 by the end of the month. February indicates Phase B2, which includes high-risk critical workers 50 years or older in certain settings like agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, school teachers and staff, childcare, corrections, prisons, jails, public transit, fire and law enforcement.
The state's timeline for March shows Phase B3, which includes people older than 16 with 2 or more co-morbidities or underlying conditions, though the Moderna vaccine is only approved for those 18 or older, whereas the Pfizer/BioTech vaccine is approved for ages 16 and up.
April would bring Phase B4 under the estimated timeline, which includes high-risk critical workers under age 50 in scenarios under Phase B2. It also includes people, staff and volunteers in congregate living settings, correctional facilities, group homes for people with disabilities, and people experiencing homelessness that live in or access services in congregate settings.
Those who don't fit into any of the above categories will be eligible to be vaccinated in phases 2-4, which the state has not unveiled yet.
People curious to find out if they're eligible to receive the vaccine can do so at FindYourPhaseWA.org. If one isn't eligible yet, they can sign up to receive a text alert when they become eligible.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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