Monday, April 5 marks the start of Washoe County Health District’s expansion of COVID-19 vaccine availability, but appointment scheduling has already begun. The online portal to schedule a vaccination appointment at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Event Center site is now open.
District health officer Kevin Dick celebrated the news.
“Monday is a huge milestone compared to where we’ve been since the COVID-19 pandemic started,” Dick said. “With more than 44,000 COVID-19 cases and 660 COVID-19-related deaths, the vaccine is the surest way to get us back to normal and reopen our economy.”
WCHD officials say not everyone will be able to schedule immediately—appointment times are made available as the district receives COVID-19 vaccine shipments. However, they said to check the website regularly as it’ll be updated when those shipments do arrive.
Appointments are first come, first served. They’re also required; those without an appointment will be asked to leave the vaccination site. Additionally, appointments for those 16-17 years old must be made by phone at 775-328-2427. Only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for individuals under 18.
Local pharmacies are also offering the COVID-19 vaccines to those 16 years and older, however they’ll be scheduling appointments through their own scheduling portals.
For now, individuals scheduling will be provided with whichever of the three vaccines—Pfizer, Moderna or Janssen—is available that day. Starting April 12, the scheduling portals will identify the type of vaccine that will most likely be administered each day. Despite having the opportunity to choose vaccine type, health officials stress that it’s more important to get vaccinated sooner rather than wait for a specific vaccine.
Residents can find a list of vaccine locations and scheduling information online at https://www.covid19washoevaccine.com/pages/find-vaccine.
Those who receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the Livestock Events Center will receive an email the day before their appointment to fill out the COVID-19 Questionnaire (For Spanish version, click here). Any type of photo ID should be brought to the appointment, but insurance is not required. The vaccine is free.
