VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – City-County Health District, Valley City, in cooperation with Sanford Health and Essentia Health clinics, Thrifty White and NuCara pharmacies, are or will be administering the COVID-19 vaccine in Barnes County as doses becomes available. These facilities are working jointly to assure that the public is vaccinated in the most expedient way possible. These facilities will receive rotating (health systems, local public health and pharmacies) weekly vaccine allotments, based on doses shipped to North Dakota from manufacturers.
City-County Health will complete vaccination of Tier 1A vaccine recipients, which includes healthcare workers, essential front line and emergency response workers, and long-term care staff and residents, the week of Jan. 18.
“We have recently vaccinated a few 75 and older people to finish doses remaining from 1A clinics. We will continue vaccinating individuals age 75 and older, with clinics starting the week of Jan. 25,” said Theresa Will, CCHD administrator. “However, we will be following guidelines set up by the ND Covid Vaccination Ethics Committee and the ND Department of Health (approved by the governor) for an orderly administration of vaccine to those people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19.”
Tier 1B will begin with those 75 years of age and older and gradually work through the rest of the people in that tier.
As vaccine doses become available at CCHD, potential recipients will be notified through KOVC/News Dakota, the Times-Record, on CCHD’s Facebook page and on our website (www.citycountyhealth.org). There will be a link available for each scheduled clinic, as well as instructions regarding how to register using the links.
“We are so excited to be able to offer the vaccine to patients at this point and continue to move toward an end of the pandemic. The vaccine is safe, effective, and overall well tolerated. I would highly encourage everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to be vaccinated as soon as they can,” said Dr. Chelsea Traverse, Sanford Valley City Physician Chair.
Sanford patients should not contact their doctor’s office to find out when they are eligible for the vaccine. Sanford Health will notify patients when the vaccine is available for them. Timing is subject to change based on vaccine availability and guidance from the CDC and state. Sanford patients will receive a My Sanford Chart message, a letter and a voice message or text message when they are eligible to set up their vaccine appointment. All patients are encouraged to enroll in a My Sanford Chart account if they do not already have one as this is the fastest and most efficient way to communicate. To enroll in a My Sanford Chart account, visit mysanfordchart.org. After receiving the notification, people can schedule an appointment through My Sanford Chart.
Essentia Health will notify patients who are invited to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through MyChart and recorded phone messages sent to the preferred phone number in their medical chart. Patients can sign up for MyChart by visiting our website at EssentiaHealth.org and click on the MyChart button in the upper right-hand corner and then click sign up. There is also an app for smart devices. You can learn more by visiting EssentiaHealth.org. Notification to groups will occur once there is appointment availability.
All of the vaccine providers listed above are setting up their own vaccine schedules and people should follow the instructions given by the facility they are planning to utilize for their COVID vaccine. “We want to assure Valley City and Barnes County residents that there will be vaccine for everyone,” said Will. “But with limited weekly allotments of vaccine within our community, it will take some time to get to all residents. So, please be patient.”
All providers ask that people go to their websites or patient portals via computer or smart phone or listen to local media outlets for notifications rather than calling each facility for information on vaccine availability. Families, friends or neighbors are asked to help the older population who don’t have computer or smart phone access to information.
“We ask everyone to try and register online at the appropriate time if you can,” said Will. “If you don’t have someone you can ask for help with this process (family, friends, neighbors), CCHD staff will aid those individuals.”
