First doses of COVID-19 vaccine arrive here

Clarendon Family Medical Center received its initial allocation of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday afternoon and began administering the doses in accordance with Texas Department of State Health Services prioritization, beginning with health care workers.
Donley County Judge John Howard, MD, received the first immunization at the clinic. Health care workers and vulnerable residents such as senior citizens are first priority in distributing the vaccine.

“There is currently more demand than supply,” Howard told the Enterprise, “but more vaccine should become available in the weeks to come. If interested, get your name on the waiting list.”

Clinic spokesperson Marsha Bruce also said immunizations will be given by appointment only.

CFMC received 100 doses of the vaccine, but Bruce said about 150 people were already on the waiting list when the vaccine arrived.

Howard said Tuesday that those receiving the vaccine will have to have a second round of the immunization 28 days later.

For those who are still testing positive for COVID-19, the clinic is pursuing a new avenue to try to keep those patients from getting as sick as in the past.

“CFMC is also working with our Associated Ambulance Authority to begin administration of monoclonal antibodies to appropriate patients in an attempt to prevent illness from becoming severe enough to require hospitalization,” Howard said. “We are fortunate to have talented and capable medical professionals here.”

The vaccines cannot come soon enough, however, as Bruce said a new surge is coming in the number of positive cases in the county.

“We are seeing this week a new wave of sick folks following the Christmas break,” Bruce said.

The number of actives cases under the care of the local clinic was 17 on Tuesday afternoon.

Bruce said the clinic has now conducted 1,045 tests since the pandemic began with 731 negatives and 315 positives.

With the known cases of Donley County residents who have tested positive at other locations, the total number of confirmed local cases is now 358.

That’s up from 314 total positives when the Enterprise last reported COVID numbers on December 15 before the Christmas break.