Vernon County begins COVID-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers

Dr. Heather Russell receives her COVID-19 vaccine.

Submitted Photo

Dr. Heather Russell and Dr. Jennifer Conley were among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine distributed in Vernon County on Monday. Dr. Russell works with patients at Moore-Few and Barone Care Center in addition to her practice at Nevada Medical Clinic. She said a vaccine clinic for other Barone Care Center staff is scheduled for next week. Russell said adults over 75 will be the next to receive the vaccine when it is available. She explained that she and Conley received the Moderna variant of the vaccine and will receive a second dose in 28 days. The Moderna vaccine series is supposed to be 95 percent effective in preventing COVID infection after two doses.

Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control call for residents of long-term care facilities - such as Moore-Few - and their caregivers to receive the vaccine first followed by persons over 75 and essential workers - "fire fighters, police officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, United States Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the educational sector (teachers, support staff, and daycare workers.)"

Then persons 65-74 years old, anyone over 16 with an underlying medical condition, and other essential workers - "such as people who work in transportation and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety, and public health."