With shipments of the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine arriving in all 50 states this week, Wyoming officials are ironing out the details of what rollout will look like here.
The task poses an enormous logistical challenge, complicated by the fact that the two-dose vaccine has stringent time- and temperature-sensitive storage and handling requirements, and that the first shipment is expected to cover only a sliver of the population.
A few things are known: The vaccine will be free in Wyoming, it will be limited and it will initially be prioritized for healthcare workers involved in direct patient care and residents of long-term-care facilities.Â
COVID-19 Vaccines have arrived in Wyoming and vaccinations for the virus have begun, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.
Vaccines arrived earlier this week and were distributed to health departments and hospitals in Casper, Cheyenne, Jackson, Cody, and Gillette. Currently, the priority is to offer vaccines to medical professionals providing direct care to patients, as well as residents of Wyoming’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Dr. Alexia Harrist, the state health officer and state epidemiologist for the Wyoming Department of Health, stated that the first number of doses given out will be relatively small.
“Working with our county and healthcare provider partners, we established priorities to make clear who should receive the first-available vaccine doses,” she said. “Our initial focus across the state involves healthcare workers involved in direct patient care and residents of long-term care facilities.”
The Wyoming Department of Health announced on Tuesday that vaccinations for the Covid-19 virus have begun.
A photo of the first vaccination was included in a press release. The department said that vaccination was given at the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department on Tuesday morning to a local public health nurse.
Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with the department, said the first approved vaccine is recommended for most people who are age 16 and older with two doses about three weeks apart needed for the vaccine to be effective.
“Putting an end to this pandemic will take all our tools. Now we can add vaccines to wearing masks, social distancing and staying home when we are ill,” Harrist said.
Photo of first COVID-19 vaccine administered in Wyoming attached. It was given at the Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department this morning to a local public health nurse.
Free, safe and effective vaccinations intended to help prevent future COVID-19 infections have started in Wyoming, according to the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH).
Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH, said the first approved vaccine is recommended for most people who are age 16 and older with two doses about three weeks apart needed for the vaccine to be effective.
“Putting an end to this pandemic will take all our tools. Now we can add vaccines to wearing masks, social distancing and staying home when we are ill,” she said. “For now and for some months to come, we need all of these strategies as we work to eliminate this virus and to help things get back to normal as soon as possible.”