Lawrence County Health Department Continues To Vaccinate Residents For COVID-19

(LAWRENCE CO.) – The Lawrence County Health Department continues to strive to vaccinate eligible Lawrence County residents.

During the County Council meeting Tuesday night, questions were posed regarding the vaccination process to Lawrence County Health Nurse Mary Kinser. Emergency Management Director Valarie Luchauer also provided the council members with additional information.

At the present time, healthcare workers, first responders, and those 70 and older are the priority in who receives a vaccination. There is a waiting list for those seeking vaccinations. If someone cancels the next person on the list is contacted immediately, according to Kinser.

The Lawrence County Health Department vaccinates approximately 50 people a day. The guidelines on vaccinations and rules regarding how that takes place are directed by the State Board of Health and the Federal government.

There are only two vaccination rooms at the Lawrence County Health Department. After it was discovered that Orange County was only being utilized at 10 percent capacity and Monroe County at 90 percent capacity, some Lawrence County residents were assigned to go to those locations for vaccinations.

Hoosier Uplands is instrumental in assisting those who have trouble with accessing the website to schedule an appointment or when calling 2-1-1 to make their appointments.

The Federal government will soon be allowing Kroger, Meijers, and Walmart stores to administer the vaccine, which should allow better access to the vaccine.

Vaccines, in the beginning, had to be stored at a temperature of -70 degrees below zero. This posed a hurdle because Lawrence County did not have freezers that had the capacity needed. Once a vial of vaccine is open it must be used within 10 hours. The Lawrence County Health Department has not wasted any vaccines.

The Lawrence County Health Department has been working tirelessly over the last year in dealing with the pandemic.