Update on Covid-19 vaccine in Stone County
Stone County Health Department has currently closed registration for COVID-19 vaccination. It will reopen in the future as the 3,000+ people pregistered are vaccinated.
February 4, 2021
Shana Harter
COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Stone County, and help from the National Guard in giving the shots is on the way.
Pam Burnett, Stone County Health Department Administrator, spoke to members of the Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce during their monthly luncheon on Thursday, Jan. 28. Burnett report that 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been given out at the New Testament Church the prior week. Stone County has received another 1,000 doses to be administered this week as the county continues in Phase 1B-Tier 2, which includes people 65 years and older and those who have high-risk health conditions. Another 2,000 doses are expected to arrive next week, with Stone and Taney counties dividing that shipment equally. Burnett also reported that the state had enlisted the National Guard to help the health department give the shots. The Guard will arrive on Feb. 12 and will set up at Silver Dollar City.
Burnett urged those anxious to get vaccinated to have patience. She says the health department list for those waiting for the vaccine numbers three to 4,000 people.
Burnett urged residents also to seek out local pharmacies and vaccine clinics. She pointed out that for veterans, the VA is also a good option.
When asked which brand of vaccine, Moderna or Pfizer is best, Burnett said it comes down to personal preference. Moderna is a .5 cc shot. It requires two doses given 28 days apart and has shown a 95 percent effective rate. The Pfizer vaccine, a .3 cc dose, is kept at -60 degrees. It is also a two-dose vaccine, given 21 days apart. It has a 94 percent effective rate.
Burnett explained that after the first dose, the vaccine is approximately 50 percent effective and over 94 percent effective after the second shot. If the second shot is delayed for any reason, it will not reduce the 50 percent effective rate.
During the question-and-answer portion of the vaccination update, Burnett said that the most common side effect had been a sore arm. Anaphylactic reaction to the shot has only been occurring 5.5 times per one million doses. Side effects such as low-grade fever, aches, runny nose, etc., are sometimes reported. Burnett reassured the group, “These symptoms show that the vaccine is doing what it should do. It’s a good thing.”
Presiding Commissioner Mark Maples told the group that he had taken the vaccine and had absolutely no side effects other than a sore arm. Maples gave his thoughts on being vaccinated, “This is the only way we are gonna get this thing behind us.”
Burnett says not enough is known about how long immunity will last after contracting COVID-19. She recommends taking the shot even if you have had the virus. She also said it is still unknown if one has permanent immunity after vaccination, but she would not be surprised if boosters are required, much like tetanus boosters.
Flu numbers appear to be lower this year. Burnett said she believes that social distancing, mask-wearing, and handwashing are responsible for keeping those numbers lower, though actual numbers are not in yet. Burnett said that the health department staff has had to focus on dealing with COVID-19 and does not have the exact numbers, however.
Burnett encouraged everyone to get vaccinated and said that she believes we may get back to normal by the end of summer if vaccinations ramp up. She reminded everyone that there are new variants of the virus showing up in several states but that getting vaccinated as soon as possible is the key. “Stop it now so that the variants won’t get passed around,” Burnett added.
On Thursday, the Stone County Health Department posted on social media that at this time, they are no longer taking pre-registrations for the COVID-19 vaccine. They will open the list back up, but staff and volunteers are dedicated to vaccinating individuals already on the list. They apologized and promised that they are working hard to get the community vaccinated as quickly as possible. The health department asking the public to please not call to inquire where you are on the list. The health department said, “Rest assured if you are on the list we will reach out to you when we are able to vaccinate you. We ask that everyone please be patient. In order to make it through the list quickly we have to take our staff out of the office to run vaccination clinics. We have limited staff available left in the office so at this time some services may be limited.
“In the upcoming weeks we expect to vaccinate 1,000 residents weekly. To do so we need volunteers.”
If you are interested in volunteering, please email Katrinka.Cooksey@lpha.mo.gov. Please include name, number, physical restrictions and day/hour availability.
According to the Show Me Strong Public Health Dashboard, 144,613 doses of vaccine have been administered across Missouri as of press time. The positivity rate statewide has fallen to 9.3% for the last seven days. However, Stone County shows a 15.49 percent positivity rate, which is up slightly from last week. There is a -27.6 percent change in the number of COVID-19 cases statewide.
Shana Harter
COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Stone County, and help from the National Guard in giving the shots is on the way.
Pam Burnett, Stone County Health Department Administrator, spoke to members of the Table Rock Lake Chamber of Commerce during their monthly luncheon on Thursday, Jan. 28. Burnett report that 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been given out at the New Testament Church the prior week. Stone County has received another 1,000 doses to be administered this week as the county continues in Phase 1B-Tier 2, which includes people 65 years and older and those who have high-risk health conditions. Another 2,000 doses are expected to arrive next week, with Stone and Taney counties dividing that shipment equally. Burnett also reported that the state had enlisted the National Guard to help the health department give the shots. The Guard will arrive on Feb. 12 and will set up at Silver Dollar City.
Burnett urged those anxious to get vaccinated to have patience. She says the health department list for those waiting for the vaccine numbers three to 4,000 people.
Burnett urged residents also to seek out local pharmacies and vaccine clinics. She pointed out that for veterans, the VA is also a good option.
When asked which brand of vaccine, Moderna or Pfizer is best, Burnett said it comes down to personal preference. Moderna is a .5 cc shot. It requires two doses given 28 days apart and has shown a 95 percent effective rate. The Pfizer vaccine, a .3 cc dose, is kept at -60 degrees. It is also a two-dose vaccine, given 21 days apart. It has a 94 percent effective rate.
Burnett explained that after the first dose, the vaccine is approximately 50 percent effective and over 94 percent effective after the second shot. If the second shot is delayed for any reason, it will not reduce the 50 percent effective rate.
During the question-and-answer portion of the vaccination update, Burnett said that the most common side effect had been a sore arm. Anaphylactic reaction to the shot has only been occurring 5.5 times per one million doses. Side effects such as low-grade fever, aches, runny nose, etc., are sometimes reported. Burnett reassured the group, “These symptoms show that the vaccine is doing what it should do. It’s a good thing.”
Presiding Commissioner Mark Maples told the group that he had taken the vaccine and had absolutely no side effects other than a sore arm. Maples gave his thoughts on being vaccinated, “This is the only way we are gonna get this thing behind us.”
Burnett says not enough is known about how long immunity will last after contracting COVID-19. She recommends taking the shot even if you have had the virus. She also said it is still unknown if one has permanent immunity after vaccination, but she would not be surprised if boosters are required, much like tetanus boosters.
Flu numbers appear to be lower this year. Burnett said she believes that social distancing, mask-wearing, and handwashing are responsible for keeping those numbers lower, though actual numbers are not in yet. Burnett said that the health department staff has had to focus on dealing with COVID-19 and does not have the exact numbers, however.
Burnett encouraged everyone to get vaccinated and said that she believes we may get back to normal by the end of summer if vaccinations ramp up. She reminded everyone that there are new variants of the virus showing up in several states but that getting vaccinated as soon as possible is the key. “Stop it now so that the variants won’t get passed around,” Burnett added.
On Thursday, the Stone County Health Department posted on social media that at this time, they are no longer taking pre-registrations for the COVID-19 vaccine. They will open the list back up, but staff and volunteers are dedicated to vaccinating individuals already on the list. They apologized and promised that they are working hard to get the community vaccinated as quickly as possible. The health department asking the public to please not call to inquire where you are on the list. The health department said, “Rest assured if you are on the list we will reach out to you when we are able to vaccinate you. We ask that everyone please be patient. In order to make it through the list quickly we have to take our staff out of the office to run vaccination clinics. We have limited staff available left in the office so at this time some services may be limited.
“In the upcoming weeks we expect to vaccinate 1,000 residents weekly. To do so we need volunteers.”
If you are interested in volunteering, please email Katrinka.Cooksey@lpha.mo.gov. Please include name, number, physical restrictions and day/hour availability.
According to the Show Me Strong Public Health Dashboard, 144,613 doses of vaccine have been administered across Missouri as of press time. The positivity rate statewide has fallen to 9.3% for the last seven days. However, Stone County shows a 15.49 percent positivity rate, which is up slightly from last week. There is a -27.6 percent change in the number of COVID-19 cases statewide.