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COVID-19 VACCINATION TO BEGIN IN NATRONA COUNTY

CASPER, WYOMING (December 15, 2020) – In the first steps toward ending the global COVID-19 pandemic and resuming normal life, the Casper Natrona County Health Department (CNCHD) will be administering and distributing Natrona County’s first COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare workers and first responders Wednesday, Dec. 16 at its downtown location.

On Monday, Dec. 14 CNCHD received 975 doses of the FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and per federal and state guidelines, vaccinations will begin tomorrow. Also in accordance with these guidelines, Wyoming Medical Center will receive approximately 75% of doses for COVID frontline staffers, including anyone responsible for COVID treatment or testing. CNCHD will use the remaining 25% on other priority groups, as identified by federal and state health officials, such as EMS personnel and first responders, including fire fighters and long-term care or assisted living staff.

“This is the moment everyone in the world has been waiting for since March. This is historic,” CNCHD Public Information Officer Hailey Bloom said. “Scientists, health care experts, private industry and governments have been working together for months to make sure that a vaccine would be safe and effective. Here at the Health Department, we’ve been closely following CDC and state guidelines as well as coordinating with all of our local partners to make sure that we could administer this vaccine safely and efficiently. Together, we’re all making it happen. We couldn’t be prouder to offer the dedicated frontline workers who have been risking their own health for months now the first round of vaccines,” she said.

Tomorrow will mark the kickoff of Phase 1A, which is the vaccination of groups most at risk for COVID, like healthcare workers, emergency responders and long-term care staff members. Within these groups, COVID testers and anyone assisting with vaccination efforts will receive the vaccine first. The CNCHD expects to receive new vaccine shipments weekly, and widespread availability for public vaccination will likely come sometime in late winter to early spring.

“Safety, efficiency and transparency are our top priorities. We’ve participated in Pfizer and Wyoming Department of Health trainings and information sessions, and we’re closely following national and state guidelines,” Bloom said. “This is the how we’ll get back to life pre-pandemic, and it’s thrilling that it’s becoming a reality,” she said.

For more information on the vaccine, visit https://casperpublichealth.org/vaccine-information/. Be sure to check back regularly for updates