PCHS at 520 COVID vaccinations

Perkins County Health Services has administered a total of 520 first-dose COVID-19 vaccinations as of this week, according to CEO Neil Hilton.

He said that number will grow with another expected 100 doses of vaccine scheduled to arrive this week. 

Last week was their busiest week so far, administering 100 shots on Tuesday and 60 on Friday. 

That number is in addition to the number of hospital and nursing home staff that have been vaccinated. 

Hilton said the team at the hospital has done a great job with the logistics of the vaccination process. That includes getting people scheduled, drawing the shots from the vials, administering the shots and then monitoring each person for 15 minutes for any adverse or allergic reactions. 

He said the pace of vaccine delivery to the hospital has been just about right. Due to those logistics, getting a large number of doses all at once would make it difficult to get the vaccine administered before it expires. 

Thus far, Hilton said the only brand of vaccine PCHS has received is the Moderna two-dose vaccine. 

According to the Moderna website, the multi-dose vials are originally stored frozen between -25º to -15ºC (-13º to 5ºF).

Upon delivery, the vaccine can then be refrigerated between 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F) for up to 30 days prior to first use. 

After the first dose is drawn from the vial, the remaining vaccine in the vial must be used within six hours. 

Hilton believes they have reached people age 75 and older who have signed up to receive the vaccine.

He emphasized that for Perkins County residents age 65 or older, there is “ample opportunity to get vaccinated” if they so desire. “It’s available,” he said. 

People wanting to get vaccinated can register online at https://vaccinate.ne.gov/en-US/ . This site is being run by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

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