Henry County begins vaccinating front-line workers

MT. PLEASANT - Keith Hildebrand, a first responder for Wayland, filled out the paperwork to receive the Moderna coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday morning against the wall of the Henry County Public Health building.

'I'm excited,” he said. 'Hopefully it works.”

Hildebrand said he felt getting the vaccine is important, especially because he often comes in contact with vulnerable and sick people through his work as a first responder.

'I think it's a good thing. It's not protecting just me, it's everybody else, too. I help people who are sick, so I don't want to go spread it, I don't want to carry it. If this can help, then I'll do it,” he said.

Hildebrand, along with other front-line health care workers, was among the first in the county to receive the vaccine at the vaccine clinic held by Henry County Public Health.

Within the first half-hour, the clinic had administered 40 doses of the vaccine to local health care workers.

The county Public Health Department received a 500-dose shipment from the state the day prior, slightly more than Public Health Director Shelley Van Dorin had anticipated when the state found out it would be receiving 30 percent less of the vaccine than anticipated.

Van Dorin said the county was originally expecting 600 doses but with the reduction were anticipating receiving around 420 doses.

'It was a nice surprise,” Van Dorin said of getting 500 doses.

The public health director, who previously anticipated the state would become even more stringent on who could get the vaccine in the first round, said the state did change guidance slightly.

'It's about the same group of people, but more specific,” she said.

Van Dorin said that counties with limited supply were advised to vaccinate people on the 'true front line first,” and those with 'the highest risk of exposure and higher risk of complication … should receive priority consideration.”

Van Dorin said Henry County has received enough doses of the vaccine to cover all tier one health care workers her department had contacted about taking part in the clinic.

Lori Liechty and Tina Garrett, dental assistants who also received the vaccine on Tuesday morning, both said they were glad to see health care workers prioritized to get the vaccine.

'The jobs of health care workers have continued through this pandemic, and it's important to keep them safe so they can do their jobs,” Garrett said.

'It's pretty exciting. I'm just anxious to get this all taken care of,” Liechty added.

Both dental assistants added they were happy 'to do [their] part” to help control the spread of the virus by getting the vaccine.

New London Assistant Fire Chief Brad Helmerson, who came in for the vaccine later in the morning, similarly said he believes it is important to do his part to 'slow the spread somehow.”

'It's one of those things where it's the right thing to do,” he said.

'As firefighters, we have the potential to be exposed,” he added of how his position could put him at risk.

For some, like Terri Nordstrom, who recently lost her mom to COVID-19-related issues, getting the vaccine is important on a personal level as well.

'She got sick, and she just never got better,” she said of her mother, right after receiving the shot.

Nordstrom, who works at Family Medicine in Mt. Pleasant, added she felt it was important to get the vaccine to help slow the spread of the virus.

'I don't want to give it to anyone, and I don't want to get sick,” she said.

As the vaccine becomes more readily available to members of the public, Van Dorin said she highly recommends people get it.

'I'm hoping that as we get the whole county vaccinated, we can start getting out and visiting and enjoying life as we did before COVID,” she said.