COVID-19 vaccine signups begun for all adults; vaccinations begin April 5

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

All adults will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations beginning April 5 in Iowa, and Floyd County Public Health has begun taking signup information.

“Floyd County Public Health encourages everyone who is 18 years of age or older to sign up on the Floyd County website,” said a statement released by Public health Administrator Gail Arjes on Thursday.

Signup on the website began Thursday, and Floyd County Public Health will be vaccinating all residents who wish to receive the vaccine beginning April 5.

Residents who want to register with Public Health should visit the website at www.floydcoia.org and click on the “COVID-19 Sign Up link,” answer the questions and submit the information.

“This information will be collected by Floyd County Public Health staff,” the press release said. Residents will then receive a call when vaccine is available, and appointments are being made.

“It is important to answer your phone if you are waiting for an appointment, as a voicemail or return number will not be left with each resident,” the statement said.

If a person doesn’t answer when called, the call center will move on to the next name and call back to the person who didn’t answer when the next vaccine shipment arrives.

“Floyd County Public Health has only received Moderna vaccine as of today,” the press release said Thursday. “Moderna is approved for those 18 years of age and older and is a two-dose series.”

In addition to Public Health, COVID-19 vaccinations are available in Floyd County at Main Street Drug and the Hy-Vee pharmacy in Charles City. Sign up at mainstreetdrugcc.com or hy-vee.com/pharmacy.

As of Thursday afternoon, the state COVID-19 website, coronavirus.iowa.gov, lists 2,556 Floyd County residents having completed vaccination, either with two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

That represents about 16.2% of the county population.

An additional 1,683 people have received the first dose of one of the two-dose vaccines.

For a couple of weeks, vaccination has been open to all adults who had one or more of a long list of health considerations that potentially placed them at greater risk if they were infected with the new coronavirus, as well as to the previously eligible categories of 65 years of age or older, health care provider, day care provider, PK-12 staff, first responder, individual with a disability or caregiver of an individual with a disability.

As of April 5, all adults will be eligible.

Vaccine manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer both have trials underway with adolescents and expect to have data by late spring or early summer. If their vaccines are shown to be safe and effective, kids 12 and up could be vaccinated before school starts in the fall, according to reporting by The Associated Press.

Young children probably won’t be eligible for the vaccine until late fall or winter at the earliest. Moderna announced on March 16 that it has started testing the vaccine in children ages 6 months to 11 years. Pfizer hasn’t reached that stage yet.

The composition of the COVID-19 vaccines for children is the same as used in adults – the difference is that children may require a different dose.

The first step in vaccine trials is to figure out the right dose. The companies want to find the lowest possible dose that is both safe and produces a target level of antibodies.