SMH COVID Vaccination Clinic administers 479 does on first day

Sheridan Memorial Hospital opened the COVID Vaccination Clinic on Jan. 27, and administered 479 vaccinations on the first day. 

During a SMH leadership meeting, Chief Medical Officer John Addlesperger reported the clinic would administer approximately the same number of doses on the second day of operation.

Addlesperger reported SMH will be allotted the Pfizer vaccine twice a month from the Wyoming Department of Health, which they will distribute between the clinic and Sheridan County Public Health. Each allotment of the Pfizer vaccine contains approximately 1170 doses. 

Administering approximately 480 doses a day will be the rate of progress for the SMH COVID Clinic. According to Addlesperger, at that rate, it will take staff three days to get through an allotted amount of doses of the Pfizer vaccine. The rate also allows for social distancing and prevents a bottleneck of patients within the clinic. 

According to Addlesperger, vaccinations are still being administered to Sheridan County residents in the Phase 1b-3 category of the Vaccination Priority List, found here. 

The bulk of residents being administered the vaccine are over the age of 70. Over 4,000 Sheridan County residents fall under that category and not all have called and scheduled an appointment. Addlesperger hopes that once word is spread throughout the Sheridan County communities receiving the vaccine is safe and convenient, the remainder of those within the category will feel more secure to call and schedule a time to receive the vaccination. 

Those who have been identified as essential workers or are 70 years of age or older and want to receive the vaccine, call the SMH COVID Vaccination Clinic at 307-675-4471. More information is also available at the Sheridan County Public Health website – https://www.sheridancounty.com/covid-19/covid-19-vaccines/.