Vaccines arrive in Carbon County

Nearly a month since the Wyoming Department of Health announced the initial receipt of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Carbon County Public Health announced the phased approach taken by the department in distributing vaccines throughout the county.

Initial deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were made to the public health departments in Casper and Cheyenne and to hospitals in Cody, Jackson and Gillette (see "Wyoming receives COVID vaccines" on page 1 of the December 16, 2020 Saratoga Sun) following an announcement on December 11 from the Wyoming Department of Health. 

On December 29, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (MHCC) announced that the hospital and Carbon County Public Health had received the Moderna vaccine, which was approved by the Federal Drug Administration on December 18. In a press release, MHCC said that both entities had received a total of 500 doses of the vaccine.

"Based on tiers established by the Wyoming Department of Health, county Public Health offices have been charged with coordinating vaccinations at the local level. Phase 1a Prioritization Schedule includes 17 tiers of sub-groups," read the press release. "Determined as a critical population by the Department of Health, Memorial Hospital of Carbon County staff were the first in Carbon County to receive vaccinations."

MHCC staff received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine on December 29, administered by Carbon County Public Health. The second dose will be required one month after the initial vaccine.

According to a press release from the Carbon County COVID-19 Management Team, priority groups in Phase 1a include healthcare workers with regular potential for exposure to COVID-19 patients or infectious materials, residents and staff of long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities and residential care facilities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. 

Jacquelin Wells, public information officer for the Carbon County COVID-19 Management Team, noted that while there was a special, targeted effort involving pharmacy chains to help vaccinate residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Wyoming this month that did not apply to Carbon County.

Wells added that Carbon County Public Health would begin vaccinating nursing home staff and residents this week.

Phase 1b of the vaccination plan, meanwhile, includeds people over the age of 70 and frontline essential workers "who must interact with the public and are unable to consistently physically distance from others."

According to Wells, as Carbon County Public Health moves into Phase 1b and other phases of the vaccination plan it will not currently involve taking names for a list.

"We will be vaccinating in various locations and will alert the public of those times and dates when we get closer to the other population groups," wrote Wells.

The arrival of the vaccines in Carbon County and the implementation of the phased vaccination plan comes as the county sees a decline in active cases but an increase in COVID-related deaths. According to Carbon County Public Health, Carbon County had 87 active cases as of Monday and a total of 15 deaths. There have been 895 laboratory confirmed cases in the county since the pandemic began and 71 probable cases.

Of those, 856 laboratory confirmed cases have recovered and 69 probable cases have recovered.  Additionally, MHCC reported four COVID hospitalizations as of January 3,

Statewide, there have been 38,440 laboratory confirmed cases and 6,435 probable cases since the pandemic began with 36,936 laboratory confirmed cases and 6,132 probable cases having recovered. There have been 438 COVID-related deaths.