Mobile vaccine units complete run in rural Nevada

Mobile Vaccination Units that were deployed around the state to reach the rural parts of Nevada have completed their run, the state reported on Wednesday.

The mobile units, that reached places such as Pahrump, Beattty, and other rural parts of Nye County and across the state, made their final run this week. The mobile units administered nearly 7,600 doses during their run.

“I am incredibly proud of the work that was done to coordinate the MVU clinics in Nevada. These clinics would not have been successful without the strong partnerships and collaborations of health care providers, community and emergency services, and volunteers across Nevada,” said Gov. Steve Sisolak. “As a result of these efforts, more Nevadans are now protected from COVID-19 and on behalf of the more than 3 million people who call Nevada home, I want to thank everyone involved in making this a success.”

The units launched in early April and spanned across the proceeding seven weeks. The weeks-long tour included 63 stops in 28 different towns, along with seven correctional facilities and two school-focused stops to increase access for the state’s rural, frontier and tribal communities.

The tour did have some hiccups along the way after issues surrounding the use of the one-shot Janssen vaccine led to a federal pause. The mobile units switched to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during the federal pause.

After the pause was lifted for the Janssen vaccine, the mobile units began administering both vaccines, which allowed for people age 16 and older. The initial rollout with the Janssen vaccine, only allowed those age 18 and older to be vaccinated at a mobile unit.

In recent weeks, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for those 12 years of age and older.

The mobile units, which had a goal of expanding the administration of vaccines in the state’s rural zones, operated on a walk-in basis. Two visits to each area were made to account for the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sent the two mobile units to Nevada on April 5 to support equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable populations in rural and tribal areas, the state said in a release.

“The units were a collaborative effort staffed by registered nurses, vaccinators and vaccination preparers, pharmacy technicians, as well as registration, screening personnel and security from local communities,” the Nevada Health Response said in a release.

Information on COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination locations can be found at NVCOVIDFighter.org or by calling 800-401-0946.