Jan 22, 2021

Barton County anxiously awaits more COVID-19 vaccinations

Posted Jan 22, 2021 12:00 AM

By AMY RICKER
Great Bend Post

Barton County is in Phase 2 of the Vaccination process against COVID-19. The county health department will have a drive-thru vaccination clinic on Friday, Jan. 22 beginning at 4 p.m. at the Barton County Fairgrounds Expo III building.    

Barton County Health Director Karen Winkleman says they received 300 vaccinations for the clinic. The Health Department didn't receive much advance notice when or how many vaccines would arrive, but that aspect has gotten better.     

Winkleman says the first doses being given this afternoon are from Moderna, and the second dose will be scheduled in four weeks.    

"We provide you with the four-week date, and you can come in up to four days early for that vaccine. You have a four-day grace period. Anytime that date that it's due or after it can be administered, so it does not have to be on the exact four-week date," explains Winkleman.    

County Administrator Phil Hathcock says the vaccines arrive by Fed Ex.    

"That's a little bit of a funny story because we are all anxious to get more vaccine. We get a notification that it's getting shipped by Fed Ex. Whenever it arrives, I rush over and try to get the vaccine before Karen. It's a little joke. The Fed Ex Driver immediately drops the box and runs because we all swarm the box," chuckles Hathcock. "The vaccine is very exciting for everyone at the Health Department because it signifies that we can do something positive to help end this pandemic."    

The drive-thru clinic will start at 4 p.m. at the fairgrounds, and vaccinations are on a first-come, first-serve basis for those who are eligible based on Phase 2 Guidelines established by the KDHE. Vaccine consent forms can be downloaded at bartoncounty.org under the COVI-19 tab. Winkleman says they are doing their best to keep everyone informed of future vaccination clinics as more doses are received and will release information through the media.