Over the past three and a half months, Nye County has been working diligently to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible populations across its far-flung communities, with vaccination PODs, or points of dispensing, being hosted on a regular basis to meet the enormous demand.
Another such POD is scheduled for this Friday, April 2 and officials announced earlier this week that this POD has now been opened to all residents ages 18 and older and all occupational groups.
The April 2 vaccination POD is set to take place at the Nye County Emergency Management building, located at 1510 Siri Lane. As of the morning of Tuesday, March 30, there were still several dozen appointment slots available. Anyone wishing to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine through the Nye County POD can head to https://booking.appointy.com/en-US/snyecovid/bookings/service to book their appointment. Second doses will be automatically scheduled at the same time that the first dose is scheduled.
Since the start of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout late last year, Nye County officials have managed to immunize thousands of residents included in the health care, essential and frontline workers categories, as well as those ages 65 and older and those with underlying health conditions. In just a few days time, starting Monday, April 5 statewide eligibility for the vaccine will open up to everyone age 16 and older.
As of Tuesday, March 30, Nye County was reporting a total of 2,853 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among its residents.
There have been 13,593 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in Nye County, with 8,815 vaccines initiated and a further 4,858 having been completed. At this time, there are three vaccines are currently available to the public, including the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as well as the one-dose Janssen vaccine.
Outside of Nye County’s efforts, pharmacies are playing a key role in the vaccine rollout as well, with Smith’s Food and Drug, Walgreens, Walmart and Raley’s all offering vaccination appointments.
Appointments through Smith’s can be made online at https://www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/rx/covid-eligibility
Vaccinations at Walgreens can be scheduled online at www.walgreens.com/schedulevaccine
Walmart vaccination appointments can be made at https://www.walmart.com/cp/1228302
For those in the Tonopah area, Raley’s appointments can be made by calling 775-482-6711.
Those with questions or who need assistance with booking an appointment can contact the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services vaccination call center from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week at 800-401-0946. More information on the state’s vaccine efforts can be found online at NVCOVIDFighter.org.
No matter where a resident receives their vaccine, it is important to remember to wear clothing that provides medical professionals with easy access to the upper arm, such as a short-sleeved shirt. Those who have been vaccinated should also wait at least 15 minutes at their vaccination site after receiving their shot, to ensure they do not have any adverse reaction. Anyone who is experiencing illness is not eligible to receive a vaccine until they are symptom free.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com