Over 400 more COVID-19 vaccines administered Saturday

AP File

Over 400 more people received the first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as a follow up to Friday’s mass vaccination clinic.

The Butler County Health Department, Missouri National Guard, Butler County EMS, Medic One and the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center worked together to provide the additional shots.

Saturday’s event came about after some of those registered for Friday’s mass vaccination event could not get their injection.

Johnna Craft, PBRMC chief compliance officer, said the hospital’s medical staff along with staff from both EMS organizations administered vaccines from noon to 4 p.m.

“I’m proud of our community, national guard, health department and partners who volunteered and all of our great staff that participated,” she said.

Craft said the event went over well.

The health department and National Guard asked the hospital to host the event.

“They just asked if we would have the capability to help them get the vaccine to the community today,” she said. “We were more than willing to help them because it’s a great cause. The National Guard was put in a position to touch many people in the region and we were just glad to help.”

These doses are on top of the 1,950 administered at Friday’s vaccination event held at the former Hydro Adventures water park when some people were turned away because organizers ran out of vaccines.

If anybody who was registered for the Friday event, but did not get the vaccine, was not able to visit the hospital Saturday, they can call the Butler County Health Department at 573-785-8478 to schedule another time in the coming week to receive their vaccine.

The National Guard will be back in three weeks for another mass vaccination clinic. At that event, those who received the shot Friday will get their second dose.

Officials also expect to have additional first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to administer at that time.

In the mean time, those who qualify as Phase 1A or Phase 1B — such as health care providers, high-risk individuals, those over the age of 65, first responders and some essential workers — can contact the health department about getting on the list to receive a vaccine. A full list of who falls under what phase of the rollout plan can be found at covidvaccine.mo.gov.

Emily Goodin, director of the Butler County Health Department, said Friday afternoon that the waiting list has about 2,000 people on it.