Will South Mississippi clinics get more COVID vaccine doses this week? Here’s the latest
Mississippi will have about 15,000 additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines next week, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said at a Friday press conference, and will share it with hospitals and clinics across the state.
Those doses will come from the reallocation of 9,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines set aside for long-term care facilities that is beyond what is needed, Dobbs said, and about 6,000 additional doses from the weekly federal government allocation.
The state has been getting about 37,000 doses from the federal government each week, and a 16% increase is expected over the next few weeks, Dobbs said.
The State Department of Health can administer about 30,000 first doses of vaccine a week through its drive-thru sites, Dobbs said, staffed in part by the Mississippi National Guard.
The sites also will begin second doses next week, said State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers, for a total of 49,000 doses.
Two more drive-thru sites will begin next week in Warren and Lawrence counties bringing the total to 21, said MSDH Senior Deputy Jim Craig, and other sites are moving from county health departments to bigger venues, like Harrison County did with the Coast Coliseum.
Beyond the drive-thru doses, the state will depend on local clinics and hospitals, who Dobbs said have been clamoring for more vaccine to get shots in arms.
South MS hospitals, clinics getting doses
Singing River Health System is anticipating a shipment next week but doesn’t know how many doses are coming, said Sarah Duffey, media relations director. The hospital will inform the public through the media and the hospital website when they can make an appointment.
Singing River received a small shipment of vaccine from the state on Tuesday, but not enough to reopen the scheduling hotline. “Instead, medical staff will use our electronic medical records system to identify the most vulnerable, high-risk individuals in our community,” the hospital reported.
Memorial Hospital at Gulfport is scheduling appointments for those who got the first dose of vaccine Jan. 7 or 8 and are due for a second shot on Feb. 4 and 5.
The hospital website says it is out of vaccine for any additional shots but will resume distribution when more vaccine is received.
Also listed on MSDH’s list of clinics getting doses is Pearl River Family Clinic, a Forrest Health facility in Poplarville.
CVS and Walgreens are giving vaccine to patients and staff at long-term care facilities nationwide through the federal Pharmacy Partnership, but not yet at drug stores in Mississippi.
Who qualifies for a vaccine in MS
Mississippi’s immunization program began with those age 75 and older, and about one-third have had the vaccine.
The health department is also only offering vaccines to people who are:
- Age 65 and older
- Ages 16-64 with one of the pre-existing conditions listed by MSDH (18 and older at state drive-thru sites)
- Long-term care residents and staff
- Frontline health care workers
Dobbs said 1.4 million Mississippians are eligible for the vaccine under these guidelines.
He doesn’t expect vaccine to be available to others for awhile. With the state receiving between 30,000 and 40,000 doses a week, he said, it will take awhile to get healthy young people vaccinated.
The 200,000 people who have been vaccinated isn’t enough to change the daily numbers yet, he said.
On Friday, the Health Department reported more than 2,000 new cases, and he said, “2,000 cases a day is not acceptable.”
How to schedule a vaccine appointment
Residents can schedule an appointment at any of the state’s drive-thru sites, not just in the county closest to them.
Craig also reminded everyone to please wear a mask when getting a vaccine at the drive-thru sites.
To schedule an appointment :
- For the state drive-thru centers go online to covidvaccine.umc.edu or call 877-978-6453
Only when and if vaccines becomes available at local clinics:
- Call Singing River Health Center hotline at 228-809-5555
- Call Memorial Hospital hotline at 228-867-5000
- Coastal Family Health Center has been administering vaccines only to those 75 and older. Call 877-374-4991.
- Pearl River Family Clinic, 302 US 11 South, Poplarville, 601-403-8284, https://fhcovid19.com/covid-vaccine/
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 5:45 PM.
