COUNTY NEWS
Los Alamos County will partner with Nambe Drugs on Sunday, April 25 to conduct a large-scale vaccination clinic from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Griffith Gym on the Los Alamos High School campus.
The event is open to anyone to register for an appointment with the State Department of Health, according to County Emergency Manager Beverley Simpson.
Simpson said she anticipates several hundred youth ages 16 to 18 may be able to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the event.
“Now that the State of New Mexico has opened the availability of the vaccine up to all phases, we have enough supply of the Pfizer vaccine that we believe a mass vaccination – including our community’s youth – can be achieved. While Nambe Drugs has done a fantastic job of running vaccine clinics with Moderna up until this point, this type of large-scale clinic will be using the Pfizer vaccine, which requires special handling because of ultracold temperatures and storage needs. We’re going to pool all of our resources and volunteers together to bring the vaccine to as many individuals as possible in one day and one location.”
Simpson said the County has been working on logistics and planning with the other partners in the past week, and has set a goal is to vaccinate as many as 1200 individuals with the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine on April 25. The booster shot will then be scheduled for Sunday, May 16 in a similar manner to the April 25 event.
Simpson emphasized that, although she expects many individuals in the range of 16 to 18 years old to receive appointments, the event will be open to others to book an appointment, too.
“This clinic will offer appointments for anyone who falls within the State’s phases 1A-1C,” she said, adding that booking an appointment and then being notified with an event code through the DOH website will still be necessary to attend the clinic. Those who are 75 and older who need the vaccine will be able to go online and register for an appointment, but will not need an event code.
Simpson said individuals under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to sign the vaccine consent form.
This may be just one of many large-scale clinics coming soon to Los Alamos, according to Simpson, as more vaccine supplies are received in the State. Until all appointments are booked, individuals can still register and then book an appointment on April 25 by visiting the State DOH website:
https://cvvaccine.nmhealth.org/
“With 1200 vaccines to administer, we need as many individuals as possible to plan to attend the April 25 event,” Simpson said, “This is an easy way to obtain the vaccine right here in Los Alamos, without the need to travel to another community, and I encourage anyone who has been considering getting the vaccine to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Smith’s Marketplace is also set up now to be able to administer the vaccine, according to Simpson. All coordination and notification for appointments is still being handled through the DOH.
Simpson reiterated the DOH notification process and materials needed for any vaccine clinic, as shown below:
DOH will notify individuals when they have been selected to receive the vaccine. If you have been selected, you will receive a text or email from DOH with an “Event code” that is unique to you. (Note: Ages 75 and older do not need an event code; they will be able to register for the April 25 event once it is populated on the DOH website.)
Do not share the code with others – it is tied to your registration with DOH on the COVID-19 vaccine website.
Individuals over the age of 75 are not required an event code and can register at any time once the event has been populated on the website.
On the day of the vaccination clinic:
- Bring your Registration Confirmation code/appointment information with you to the clinic. You will need this information to check in as you enter the clinic. If you do not have the code, you will not be allowed to proceed.
- Fill out the Medical Questionnaire online the morning of the appointment. The link to the medical questionnaire is included in the appointment reminder you receive via text or email from DOH the morning of your appointment. Also complete the questionnaire that was emailed to you from NAMBE drugs and your insurance cards.
- Arrive during your time slot sent to you on the Event code. If you have a specified time, plan to arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of the time slot given to you. The vaccination process takes less than 15 minutes.
- Allow time at the end of the vaccine for up to 30 minutes of observation.
Consider downloading the smart phone app V-Safe. This is encouraged for post-vaccine follow ups with the Centers for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/vsafe.html