First vaccine clinic held in Pike

A total of 150 citizens received the COVID-19 vaccine at the first vaccine clinic held in Pike County on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Citizens in the Phase 1A group lined up in their cars at the Christ Chapel building to fill out paperwork and then pulled around to get the vaccine from Department of Public Health nurses. The 150 citizens who got the first shot will get the second part of the shot at a future vaccine clinic in Pike. ’It went great for the first time doing this,’ said Pike County EMA director Jimmy Totten. ‘Everything ran smoothly all day and the Department of Public Health was able to give 150 vaccines to people from Pike and surrounding counties. We got a lot of compliments from people about how well organized and how quickly the line went.’ Hayla Folden of District 4 Public Health – which includes Pike County – encouraged people to continue to follow safety precautions. ’For people who have been unable to get a COVID-19 vaccine and for people who have only had one of their two vaccine shots ‘“ please continue to wear a mask, maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet, and wash your hands with soap and water,’ she said. ‘We will continue to schedule appointments as we receive the vaccine.’The followup vaccine clinic has not been scheduled yet. Angela Farr of the Pike Health Department said the county’s first vaccine clinic went well. ’It went really awesome. We had such good help and that’s what made it flow so smoothly,’ she said. ‘We’d like to thank Christ Chapel for use of their property, the county for putting up our tent, our volunteers who went through the medical reserve corps to help out as well as Pike’s EMA and EMS and sheriff’s office for stepping up to help the health department employees.’ The COVID-19 vaccine is still only available for people in Phase 1A which includes healthcare workers in a clinical setting, staff and residents of long-term care facilities, all law enforcement and fire personnel and adults 65 and older and their caregivers as applicable. The District 4 Public Health facebook page announced Jan. 21 that the vaccine appointment line was closed until further notice. ’We are currently prioritizing second doses, we won’t be scheduling first dose appointments until further notice,’ the District 4 Public Health post stated on Jan. 25. ‘Please follow our social media and website for news on appointment availability. We ask for continued patience, thank you.’ Those who are getting their second dose need to present their vaccine card and proof that they are 65 or older and healthcare workers or first responders. To find out more, go to district4health.org/covid-19-vaccine/.