The first mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic for those over 65 is set for Saturday, Feb. 6 from10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Wellman Parkside Activities Center’s YMCA, 525 13th Street, Wellman.

Scheduling started on Monday, Feb.1 at 8 a.m. and all available appointments for the clinic were filled by 1:30 p.m. Callers were asked to keep trying if not successful in the first call or two, but many callers reported trouble getting through even after multiple hours of trying.

“We’re having an overwhelming number of calls come into our office,” said Washington County Public Health administrator Danielle Pettit-Majewski on Monday afternoon, Feb. 1. “Additionally, US Cellular and Verizon are having issues getting through our county phone system.”

Pettit-Majewski said Washington County Public Health only has three phone lines coming into the office — when those phone lines are full, the system is unable to give any messaging to the callers.

“We’re planning on how we can increase capacity for our other mass clinics to make scheduling easier,” she said. 

Each week, as the county learns what the expected allocation of vaccine will be, additional clinics will be scheduled.

In mid-January, the Infectious Disease Advisory Committee (IDAC) made recommendations regarding the prioritization of groups to receive the vaccine. While the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) initially listed seniors age 75 and older to be in the 1B group, but after community feedback the IDPH expanded Phase 1B to include Iowans age 65 and over.

While the Phase 1B population grew significantly with the change, the vaccine allocation to the state did not.

IDPH and Washington County Public Health have advised Iowans included in Phase 1B to be patient and check frequently for new clinic dates, which will be posted on the Washington County Public Health website (washph.com) and the department’s social media accounts.

Before calling to schedule a vaccination appointment, it is important to remember that no one who is actively ill, in isolation or in quarantine can receive the vaccine. Additionally, those set to receive another vaccination, such as for Shingles or Tetanus, will have to wait at least two weeks between their COVID vaccine and other vaccinations.

For those with an appointment scheduled on Feb. 6, masks are required, and all are asked to dress in layers so that an arm will be accessible to receive the injection.

The vaccine is free. However, recipients need to bring their Medicare card. Traffic will be monitored at the site and all are asked not to arrive more than 30 minutes prior to the appointment. It will ease traffic congestion.