Reeves: Older Mississippians can start getting vaccine
Gov. Tate Reeves announced Monday that older residents in Mississippi will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccinations as early as next week.
Reeves said residents over the age of 75 will be able to receive vaccinations through 174 private clinics and community health centers throughout the state, as well as other public health options. Vaccinations for residents ages 65 and older will begin the week of Jan. 17, he said.
A list of clinics and centers who will be able to provide vaccinations was not immediately available.
State leaders feel need to get vaccine to older population faster
Reeves said that he feels vaccine rollout has not gone as quickly as he had hoped, partly because of how long evaluations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on who should get the vaccine first have taken. But Reeves said he spent several hours Monday discussing how to get vaccines out more quickly across the state with the health department.
“We need to move fast and we need to get it out there,” he said. “We don’t need to analyze and prioritize for months and months on end, all the while debating on who is more deserving than someone else.”
Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi’s state health officer, said Reeves’ announcement partly falls in line with the Mississippi State Department of Health’s plan to get vaccines to residents over 75, but does work to get vaccine out faster to other older residents.
According to a schedule posted to the health department’s website Monday, Phase 1b.1 will allow those older residents — as well as police and fire crews, teachers and staff at schools, colleges and universities, child care workers and corrections officers — to be eligible to be vaccinated. Information on where workers will be able to be vaccinated will be provided by employers.
Residents ages 65 and older were originally scheduled to be part of Phase 1c.1, which was estimated to begin in February.
Dobbs said he does not anticipate the changes will affect when other phases of the vaccine rollout will start.
Mississippi is currently in Phase 1a of its three-phase rollout plan for vaccinations across the state, which prioritizes front line health care workers and residents in long term care facilities. According to a report from the health department, at least 23,000 residents in the state had received the first of the two necessary injections for the COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday.
Dobbs said that according to records from the health department’s office of immunization, 24 long term care facilities were scheduled to be vaccinated last week. Residents at 44 facilities across Mississippi are scheduled to receive them this week, he said.
When can other people get their COVID-19 vaccine?
According to estimates from the health department, the rest of Phase 1 will continue until at least March.
Phase 1a
When does it start?: Currently underway
Who is targeted?: Front line health care workers, residents in long term care facilities
Phase 1b.1
When does it start?: Estimated to begin in mid-january
Who is targeted?: Residents who are 75 or older, first responders (police, fire, etc.), K-12 teachers and staff, college and university teachers and staff, child care workers, correctional officers and staff, congregate settings workers (e.g. homeless shelters)
Phase 1b.2
When does it start?: February
Who is targeted?: Food and agriculture workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, employees in manufacturing, grocery stores, and public transit settings
Phase 1c.1
When does it start?: February
Who is targeted?: Residents between ages 16-64 with high risk medical conditions
Phase 1c.2
When does it start?: March
Who is targeted?: Residents ages 16 and older in congregate settings and correctional facilities, other essential workers as defined by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency