1,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine were administered to seniors over 70, healthcare workers, and law enforcement officers at Jasper Middle School on Saturday, Jan. 23, and it was all thanks to the Dubois County Health Department’s one-day mass clinic.
When the health department first received the call to host the clinic, they jumped at the opportunity - and it could not have come at a better time, with 15 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Saturday.
"At the health department -- we really only have the capacity to do about ninety a day because of social distancing,” said Shawn Werner, the administrative director with the Dubois County Health Department. “So, this large facility gives us the opportunity to get a lot of people through in a quick time."
Of course, as with any large operation, there were a few hiccups.
"People come -- they think they're scheduled -- they're not -- they have appointments other places,” Werner said. “So, we've been trying to take care of those issues as they come."
70-year-old Mike Seidle was thrilled to be able to get vaccinated so quickly.
"If everyone can get a vaccine -- we can get back to normal again,” he said. “I have a 96-year-old mother-in-law and I've always been worried about protecting her as well so the sooner I could get it -- the better."
As for health leaders, they are hopeful the vaccines will help relieve some of the stress COVID-19 has caused.
"The sooner we can get our population immunized,” Werner said. “And try to get this behind us -- the better off we'll be."
Those second doses of the Moderna vaccine will be administered on Feb. 20.
