Jerry Fay Wilhelm Center for the Performing Arts Bastrop Texas

With distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine underway in Bastrop County, health officials plan for a smooth distribution equally individuals in the Phase 1A group, including first responders, hospital staff and home health care workers, receive their first doses.

According to country health information, 981 Bastrop County residents have received the first dose of the COVID-xix vaccine as of Wednesday night, including at least 47 first responders, officials said. Two people in the county are listed as being fully vaccinated, data shows.

Bastrop Fire Main Andres Rosales said 12 out of 21 eligible personnel in his section have received the vaccine, and that all metropolis of Bastrop kickoff responders have been offered the opportunity to receive it.

"The whole county is following underneath" Bastrop County Wellness Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes' health program, Rosales said. "She reaches out to usa and nosotros only fall in line, withal she conducts, sends united states wherever she has the power to. Nosotros're just following her programme."

When the vaccine first arrived in Bastrop County in the final days of 2020, distribution was targeted at individuals in the Phase 1A group of the county's vaccine distribution programme, including long-term care residents and staff, emergency medical services providers, staff in outpatient care offices who collaborate with symptomatic patients, directly care staff in freestanding emergency medical care facilities and urgent care clinics, customs pharmacy staff, public health and emergency response staff who administrate COVID-nineteen testing and vaccinations, last responders and school nurses.

Now more than a week into the vaccine'southward rollout in the county, Bastrop Canton Judge Paul Pape's office said the priority remains to vaccinate these Stage 1A individuals.

His part said that Bastrop Canton vaccine providers — of which at that place are 6, according to the latest state wellness data — have been able to adjust Phase 1A individuals. Currently there are four vaccine providers in Bastrop, 1 in Elgin and one in Smithville.

"As the vaccine rollout process unfolds, Dr. Desmar Walkes anticipates that in that location will be a larger supply of vaccines sent to vaccine providers and that there will be more than approved vaccine providers," Pape's office said.

In addition to vaccine providers using partnerships with Ascension Seton and pharmacies to administer the vaccine, Pape's office said the Country Wellness Services Department part in Bastrop held a clinic for first responders and vaccinated 47 people.

For first responders in Bastrop County, following the guidance of both Walkes and Bastrop County Emergency Management Coordinator Christine Files, this has been the preferred logistical arroyo.

"Chris Files has really been reaching out and been analogous with all the departments in the canton," Elgin Fire Primary Randy Reyna said. "She'due south been doing a great chore every bit far equally getting all of that lined up, getting everything lined up to where all we had to practise was give her numbers of who wanted to become."

Reyna said about 10 members of his volunteer burn department have received the vaccine, besides equally himself.

"I highly recommended that they get information technology because nosotros're highly exposed to a lot of that stuff," Reyna said.

Not having a personalized vaccination plan, but rather following overall county guidance and information, is a common refrain among starting time responders effectually the county.

Vicky Steffanic, Bastrop'southward assistant police main, said at that place is not a definitive protocol to receive the vaccine for members of the Bastrop Police Department, instead it follows county guidance.

"Several officers inside our department were offered the vaccine and have since voluntarily received the COVID-nineteen vaccine," Steffanic said. "Additional officers may volunteer to take the vaccine when and if it is available."

Elgin Police force Chief Patrick South said his department is working with the county Emergency Operations Center and is following its vaccination programme.

Readying vaccination plans for schools

Bastrop County school districts are also working closely with county emergency management personnel in preparation of the growing number of people who will before long be eligible for the vaccine.

Smithville school commune Superintendent Cheryl Burns said she is working on a vaccine distribution plan for the district with Walkes, something that is besides occurring in Elgin.

"All Bastrop County schools are working with our local health potency in Bastrop County to organize this effort for those that fall nether the Texas Phase 1B priority," said Elgin school district Superintendent Jodi Duron.

Walkes has said Phase 1B includes vaccinating residents age 65 and older and people 16 and older with one or more chronic medical condition

A slightly more physical plan is in place in Bastrop, as school district spokeswoman Kristi Lee said the district will be partnering with Bastrop Canton to host vaccine clinics at the Jerry Fay Wilhelm Middle for the Performing Arts.

"We don't know when the clinics volition occur, which vaccines will be given, or the quantity of vaccines that will be available," Lee said. "Nosotros are still awaiting give-and-take from DSHS on these details then that nosotros can move forward in our planning."

For district personnel not included in Phase 1A, merely like other Bastrop County residents exterior that group, information technology means waiting for more than vaccine doses and vaccine providers to become available in the canton.

"In the coming weeks, our hope is that the vaccine providers receive more doses of the vaccine and volition exist able to vaccinate many more people in our community," Pape's office said.

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Source: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/bastrop/2021/01/07/bastrop-county-first-responders-begin-receiving-covid-19-vaccine/6575080002/