St. Joe health officials asks providers to fill out COVID-19 vaccine interest form

St.

Joe health officials ask providers to fill out the COVID-19 vaccine interest form

<<kq2's madeline mcclain reportingcalling all healthcare workers in buchanan county.connie werner, st.

Joseph health department: dental facilities, they've listed optometrists, ophthalmologists, mental health, physical therapists, home health.if you want a covid-19 vaccine -- make sure your boss or office calls the st.

Joseph health department.

Connie werner, st.

Joseph health department: truly we have to optimize our time and we have a lot to get done in a short period of time.they are trying to put together a master list of tier 1a people interested in getting the vaccine that aren't tied to a provider already giving vaccines.for example...connie werner, st.

Joseph health department: for mosaic, they are getting their persons vaccinated but there is a whole host of providers that fit into that tier 1 that aren't tied to mosaic or they are not tied to a specific covid provider.part of tier 1-a -- the top priority vaccine group -- defined by the state & c-d-c is people working in the healthcare field that may be exposed to the virus at work.connie werner, st.

Joseph health department: basically if you fall into that medical facility realm and you don't work from home and you work directly with that patient.

You could qualify for tier 1a."

Local health officials are in charge of getting the vaccine from facility to patient arm -- and a major component of that plan is finding out how many healthcare workers in town need and want the vaccine.

Connie werner, st.

Joseph health department: we can't devote precious time to calling, like googling to find out how many dentists are in town and how many eye doctors because we are going to miss somebody and it would not be intentional but someone would say why didn't you contact me?

And so we are relying on them to gather that interest information."they are asking providers to go fill out the survey online -- so they have a master list to work from.and it's not just important for planning purposes -- connie werner, st.

Joseph health department: "we anticipate that the interest will be greater than the supply that we get."meaning even for tier 1 at this point -- it will be first come first serve.the quicker you get on the list -- the higher up on the list you will be -- and the quicker you will be matched for a vaccine.

Connie werner, st.

Joseph health department: the statement of interest does not guarantee a vaccine at least on this round.

Everything that we are doing is going to be dependent on the state of us, giving us vaccines, and how determined on the state.

Reporting, kq2 news.

Healthcare providers