The Marion County Health Department gave the first immunization for COVID-19 to 200 more county residents on Thursday.
The clinic was at the First Christian Church in Salem.
Health Department Administrator Melissa Mallow says the clinics have run smoothly and so far there have been no severe negative reaction to the Moderna vaccine.
“We are hoping to do at least at a minimum 200 residents from Group 1-B each week. Our goal is to obviously increase that but it all depends on the allotment we get from the state each week.”
Mallow says at this point the vaccine allotments are the limiting factor.
“Whenever we are told we only are to receive 400 doses, and we have to share that with St Mary’s Hospital, Salem Hospital and obviously us so that does limit the amount of people we can vaccinate each week.”
Mallow has been preparing for clinics that could do as many as 1,000 people a day at St. Mary’s Hospital if there is enough vaccine. She reports about 400 school personnel from around Marion County are scheduled to receive their first dose of the vaccine in a special clinic for school personnel on Saturday at Centralia High School.
In addition to vaccine to be given for the first shot, the state is setting aside an equal number of doses for the second vaccination. Mallow says those attending the clinics are being given a card and time to come back for their second vaccination at the time of their first shot.
The Moderna vaccine is expected to be 96-percent effective in preventing the recipient from getting COVID-19. However, state health officials say even after being immunized safety precautions will continue to require the wearing of a mask when you cannot social distance.
