ZIP Advertisement 'Things are really picking up': Douglas County Health Dept. recaps 1st week of open vaccine clinics Appointments for 2nd week have mostly filled up, with citizens age 75+ now eligible for doses Share Updated: 6:22 PM CST Feb 8, 2021 Appointments for 2nd week have mostly filled up, with citizens age 75+ now eligible for doses Share Updated: 6:22 PM CST Feb 8, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript JOSE: IT LOOKS LIKE THOSE OPEN SLOTS FILLED UP QUICKLY. THE COUNTY’S NOW TARGETING FOLKS 75 YEARS OLD AND UP, AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT LEADERS SAY THEY’LL MEET THE DEMAND AS RESPONSIBLY AS POSSIBLE. SATURDAY WRAPPED UP WHAT PHIL ROONEY, AT THE DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT, CALLS A SUCCESSFUL FIRST WEEK OF OPEN VACCINE CLINIC >> WE ALL KNOW THE WEATHER WAS LESS THAN DESIRABLE, AND WE STILL VACCINATED OVER 1,400 PEOPLE DOWN THERE AT THE CREIGHTON CLINIC. JOSE: THE COUNTY’S MOST RECENT DASHBOARD SHOWS OVER 42,000 PEOPLE NOW HAVE AT LEAST THEIR FIRST DOSE HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY WITH THOSE AGE 75 AND UP NOW SIGNING UP THERE’S NO SLOW DOWN OF PEOPLE GETTING SPOTS FOR CLINICS THIS WEEK, AS WELL AS OTHERS WHO MAY TRY TO GET IN WITHOUT AN APPOINTMEN >> IT’S POSSIBLE THAT SOMEBODY COULD BE CARING FOR AN OLDER PARENT, AND THEY MIGHT FALL UNDER ANOTHER ONE OF THE CATEGORIES IN THERE, SO THAT COULD HAPPEN. BUT IF YOU’RE JUST A CARETAKER FOR AN ELDERLY PARENT, A YOU AREN’T ON THE LIST ANY OTHER WAY, PLEASE DO NOT EXPECT TO BE VACCINATED. JOSE: ROONEY ALSO SAYS THERE’S NO REASON TO THINK A RAMP UP IN THE FEDERAL RETAIL PHARMACY PROGRAM WILL TAKE AWAY THE COUNTY’S ALLOCATIONS. GOVERNOR, PETE RICKETTS, SAYS HE THINKS LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE IN HELPIN NEBRASKANS FIND THE BEST OPTION FOR A VACCINE APPOINTMEN GOV. RICKETTS: THE FEDERAL GOVERMENT IS KIND OF MOVING QUICKLY ON THIS. AND SO, I THINK THERE’S STIL MORE DETAILS ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO WORK OUT AND HOW PEOPLE WILL SIGN UP BUT I WOULD SAY, START WITH YO -- LOOK, AGAIN, MAKING SURE YOU’RE SIGNED UP WITH THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR THE STATE IS A GOOD FIRST STEP, BECAUSE WHAT WE’RE GOING TO TRY AND DO IS SEE IF LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS CAN WORK WITH PHARMACIES TO DRAW FROM THAT LIST ABOUT ANY NEW DETAILS IT HAS ON ITS ROLE OR IMPACT FROM THE FEDERAL RETAIL PHARMACY PROGRAM. DOUGLAS COUNTY SAYS AS THE 75- AGE GROUPS MOVES THROUGH THE PROCESS, THEY’LL ALREADY THINKING AHEAD TO WHEN THOSE AGES 70-74 WILL BE ELIGIBL