Washoe County is receiving only about half the number of COVID-19 vaccine it is ordering on a weekly basis, according to Jim English, regional operations chief for county COVID-19 Response and Vaccination Deployment.
English said the county has no control over the number of doses it receives each week.
“The state gets its allotment from the federal government, and then it’s population based,” he said. “We are getting a set amount based on our population. I would fully believe this continues to be a federal government, either logistics or manufacturing, issue. I’ve looked at some surrounding counties that are outside of Nevada, and they seem to be getting about the same percentage for their population.”
Until the State of Nevada is able to receive greater numbers of weekly vaccine allotments from the federal government, Washoe County’s weekly allotment is unlikely to increase.
“We did get an additional allotment of approximately 500 doses for Washoe County next week,” English said. “So, we’re up to about 5,500 first doses, and we’ve got all of the second doses required to properly vaccinate everyone that got a first dose here in the region.”
Yesterday, at its Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center point of distribution (POD), the Washoe County Health District (WCHD) administered 669 second doses, bringing the total number of second doses up to 7,799.
According to English, WCHD has received 33,260 doses and has administered 16,556 first doses.
So, we are slowly getting this community vaccinated as quickly as we can,” he said.
“Today, we’re administering over 450 second doses,” English said during a press briefing on Thursday. “This afternoon, we’ll be administering another 750 first doses.”
Tomorrow, WCHD will be administering second doses from 1 to 4 p.m. at its POD followed by a second event specifically for employees of the Washoe County School District (WCSD), during which it is hoped at least 1,200 people will receive vaccinations.
“Saturday we are having an additional closed POD for the school district of another 1,400 school district employees,” English said, adding that another closed event for the school district on Feb. 13 is likely.
Following these private events, it is expected WCSD will have offered all of its 8,000 employees the opportunity to get vaccinated.
“We also—and this is good news—fully expect to have the [Nevada System of Higher Education] front-line staff completely vaccinated by the end of next week,” English said. “They’re running a closed POD this week, and we are also bringing them through our POD location.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is also now on site at the Livestock Events Center helping with vaccinations, paperwork, screening and monitoring people for allergic reactions immediately following their vaccinations.
“We ask all friends and family members of seniors…that you continue to assist them with transportation to wherever they’re getting the vaccination.”
The State of Nevada has provided additional doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to allow vaccination of FEMA workers helping out in Washoe County and a Federal Health and Human Services team in Carson City, many of whom have received only their first doses of the vaccine.
Additionally, WCHD intends to start handing out a questionnaire for those receiving first doses of the vaccine that should be brought back with them when they receive their second doses. The questionnaire will include information about which vaccine—Pfizer or Moderna—was received, where it was received and who administered it.
It will also allow WCHD to collect necessary demographic information as well as information about whether recipients are essential workers and where they fall within the “lanes” of prioritization for vaccine distribution, in addition to information about possible COVID-19 exposure and if a person has received any other vaccinations in the prior two weeks.
“If you’ve had any vaccinations in the past 14 days, we ask that you not come in for your COVID vaccination,” English said. “Or if you’ve had any reactions to vaccinations—that becomes critical if you did have any level of reaction to the first dose.”
On Feb. 12, WCHD will hold a second-dose POD for seniors 70 years old and older. Additional PODs for seniors are being held in Gerlach by Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and in Lake Tahoe by the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and the Incline Village Community Hospital.
“We do remind everyone, and we ask all friends and family members of seniors, as this population continues to get vaccinated throughout the community, that you continue to assist them with transportation to wherever they’re getting the vaccination and that you check in with them regarding their vaccinations and any potential side effects,” English said.
WCHD has created a flier to explain vaccination side effects.
“Side effects of the vaccinations are completely normal,” English said. “It’s just a sign your body is building protection to the virus. They can be really unpleasant. And it is well known with these two vaccinations that the second doses typically have stronger side effects. … But just because you had symptoms of the first dose doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have them on the second dose, but it is possible.”
The most common side effects include tenderness, swelling or redness at the injection site, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, joint pain and nausea. People are advised to call their doctors if any of these tend to last more than 24 hours.
