By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

The county’s first COVID-19 vaccination clinic, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at the county fairgrounds, provided vaccines to 170 people aged 84 and older.

At the clinic, people went through the registration process, got their shots, then sat for 15 minutes of observation before being allowed to leave. The 170 were selected by age, from lists compiled by clinics, hospitals, and the health department. All had called to say they wanted vaccinations.

Six people were scheduled every 10 minutes until there were no more shots.

The process required many volunteers to direct parking around the fairground food building where the clinic was held, assist people with registration and check-in, give vaccinations, observe people given the shots afterward, and direct cars out of the parking lot. Among the volunteers were four county commissioners, physicians, nurses, emergency medical technicians, county employees, and hospital administrators.

The county’s weekly allotment of vaccinations was 200. Residents of Westview Manor and healthcare workers who needed their second shots were given vaccinations out of that shipment, health department administrator Diedre Serene said.

Serene said she expects another shipment of 200 vaccine doses this week. Another clinic will be scheduled as quickly as possible when the shipment is sent.

If someone 65 or older has not already gotten their name on a list with the health department, a clinic, or a hospital, they should call the health department, Serene said.

“We have too many individuals, obviously, and not enough vaccine,” Serene said. “We are starting with the oldest first and working our way down. We are in the 80s.”

Serene said several steps will be taken to make it easier to register for future vaccination clinics.

She plans to make registration forms available at clinics, grocery stores, the health department, senior centers, and perhaps libraries, post offices, and restaurants.

So far, Marion County has had 911 COVID cases since April. As of Monday, 65 people were still being treated or in isolation, 3 were hospitalized, and the county has seen 6 deaths.