JCHC Discusses COVID Vaccination During EOC Briefing

CEO Sean McCallister and Dr. Mark Schueler, with the Johnson County Healthcare Center, discussed the COVID-19 vaccine, giving an update to the media during this week’s COVID Emergency Operations Center briefing.

McCallister said the facility is working closely with public health on the vaccine and vaccinations when it arrives in the county.

He said the healthcare center will be vaccinating staff at the nursing home, then move on to residents and staff in the facility.

Dr. Schueler said he is concerned about and monitoring the recent high number of cases that have been discovered at the Veterans Home of Wyoming.

He said so far they don’t know the complications or whether any of them may require hospitalization, and that could be overwhelming for the hospital.

Schueler said the vaccine will soon be one of the options for fighting the disease and he is encouraged by that, but it will be a few weeks before people start getting the vaccine and immunity gets a chance to develop.

He said, “the future looks a little brighter now.”

According to discussions at the hospital board meeting Wednesday, the JCHC will receive 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine next week, if it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.