COVID UPDATE: State to hold vaccination clinic in Clarendon March 5

The state health department will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Bairfield Activity Center at Clarendon College next Friday, March 5; and local residents are asked to sign up now for an appointment.

Donley County Judge John Howard, MD, said the state will be bringing 500 doses of the Moderna vaccine and will administer the shots from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The primary purpose of the clinic is to give as many people as possible the first dose of the two-step vaccination. A second clinic will be held on April 6 to administer the second dose, Howard said.

However, if a person has already received the first round of the Moderna vaccine, they can get the second dose during the March 5 clinic. State officials request those needing the second dose schedule as late in the day as possible to allow the most people to get the first round of the vaccine.

Those wishing to receive the vaccination must pre-register online for a specific timeslot at the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FA8A828A3FAC07-dshs4

The clinic is for people age 18 and older with priority given to residents in Phases 1A and 1B as explained at this link along with other important information: https://www.clarendonlive.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/COVID-19-Clarendon-Vaccine-Clinic.pdf.

The state personnel will be staying over in Clarendon next Friday night and will hold another vaccination clinic in Memphis the next day, Howard said. If a local resident cannot make the Friday clinic in Clarendon, they might consider trying to go the Memphis site. No information is available on the Saturday clinic at this time.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 infections seem to have subsided among Donley County residents this week, according to the Clarendon Family Medical Center.

As of Tuesday morning, the clinic had only one active case under its care.

Since the last update from the clinic on February 9, only two additional people have tested positive for the virus. This again does not include information on people who have may have tested at facilities outside the county.

Howard said the Clarendon Family Medical Center is also receiving more vaccine this week and will be administering those doses to people on the center’s waiting list in cooperation with the Associated Ambulance Authority, which is also helping the clinic administer antibody infusions for sick patients.