Fairfield pharmacies administer vaccines

FAIRFIELD - Jefferson County Public Health announced Tuesday it had received another shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, and that it would be sharing them with four partners for distribution.

The four entities that received vaccines were the Jefferson County Health Center and Summit Pharmacy, which had received vaccines before, and NuCara Pharmacy and Walmart Pharmacy, which were receiving a vaccine allocation for the first time.

Jefferson County Public Health Administrator Chris Estle said that Fairfield Hy-Vee Pharmacy, which received a vaccine allotment last week, would not receive one this week. However, Hy-Vee will receive a portion of next week's vaccine shipment.

Estle said the state has promised Jefferson County 300 doses of COVID-19 vaccine per week through the end of February. Public Health is sharing those vaccines with local pharmacies and the health center, though the demand for the vaccine is greater than the supply. That means some entities will not receive a vaccine allotment in any given week. This week, Hy-Vee is being skipped, and next week, the health center will be skipped.

'With only 300 doses, we want to try to share vaccine the best we can with all of our partners,” Estle said. 'It is difficult to meet the demand. We want to reach as many people as possible with the vaccine that is allocated.”

NuCara Pharmacy is instructing customers to get on its waiting list by visiting nucara.com and answering a series of questions. Pharmacy representatives said they prefer residents use the company's website for the waiting list, but if a person does not have access to the internet, they may call the pharmacy at 641-469-3001.

Roger and Terri Channel of Libertyville received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday at NuCara, becoming the first people to receive the vaccine at that pharmacy. Terri said she and her husband debated whether to get the vaccine, but their son ultimately convinced them the pros outweighed the cons. She said her husband, because of other health complications, cannot afford to get COVID-19. The couple said they were told to report back to the pharmacy for their second dose of the vaccine on March 10.

Summit Pharmacy is maintaining a waiting list for the vaccine. To get on the waiting list, call the pharmacy at 641-472-7987.

Fairfield Hy-Vee pharmacy is not keeping a waiting list, and residents who want to get the vaccine through Hy-Vee are instructed to register for it online at hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine. Those who wish to get the vaccine at Walmart pharmacy are directed to visit its website at walmart.com/covidvaccine.

Jefferson County Health Center issued a statement saying it will identify individuals at high risk by utilizing its COVID-19 risk score, and then contacting these individuals to schedule them for vaccines. All vaccinations will be pre-scheduled and by appointment only. The health center is not maintaining a waiting list.

Under the state's guidelines for vaccine distribution, those 65 years of age and older are being prioritized. The local pharmacies and the health center are administering vaccines to those people, while Jefferson County Public Health is focusing its efforts on vaccinating school employees.