On Friday, January 28, the Howell County Health Department, in cooperation with the Missouri National Guard, Ozarks Healthcare and the City of West Plains, served as the lead in the first large-scale mass vaccination clinic for COVID-19 at the West Plains Civic Center. The event ran from 7 AM to 7 PM and the joint effort allowed 2,800 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to be administered.
The Vaccine was administered to eligible individuals in accordance with Missouri’s state vaccination plan, Tiers 1A through 1B Tier 2. Those eligible to receive the vaccine had registered or through the Howell County Health Department or Ozarks Healthcare. Those who received the vaccination at this clinic will return in 3 weeks to the same site for their second required shot.
Chris Gilliam, Director of Howell County Health Department, gave his thoughts on the largest mass vaccination clinic that has ever been held in Howell County. “First and foremost, I want to thank all of the agencies that were a part of making this event a success. The Missouri National Guard, Ozarks Healthcare, City of West Plains, West Plains Fire and Police Departments, Missouri State University- West Plains Nursing Department and the West Plains Civic Center, who all came together to provide an outstanding public event to area residents. An event of this nature would not have been possible without the support, hard work and commitment from these partners,” Gilliam stated.
Gilliam went on to say, “We also want to thank all those that attended the event for their patience and support as this large-scale event was happening. Great effort was put into the plan to ensure wait times were as low as possible and that the process of receiving the shot would be as easy as possible. I am proud to have been a part of this event and feel fortunate to be a part of a community that is so invested in the health of our friends, families and neighbors.” Gilliam added, “I cannot say enough about the effort put forth by Josh Reeves and R.D. Reid and Dr. Fraise at Ozarks Healthcare, and Tom Stein and crew with the City of West Plains, who brought crucial expertise and resources to bear for this event.”
Gilliam ended by stating, “Conducting an indoor mass-vaccination clinic in the midst of a pandemic is a balancing act. Not only was the focus on getting a significant of number of participants vaccinated in a relatively short period of time, but do so in a manner in which spacing attendees could be largely controlled, thus limiting the likelihood further spread of COVID-19.
The Howell County Health Department reports that the mass-vaccination planning and operations team continue to work together in an effort to plan and further improve upon future pevaccination events to be held in West Plains.
Those wishing to be placed on a waiting list for upcoming vaccinations opportunities can visit Ozarks Healthcare at https://www.ozarkhealthcare.com/vaccine-sign-up/ or by calling the Howell County Health Department at (417) 256-7078. The prioritization guide for COVID-19 vaccine for participants is clearly laid out by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services at https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/priority/
