by Tamera Heitz-Peek, CMH
Citizens Memorial Hospital is holding vaccination events Saturday, March 6, for qualifying individuals wanting the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
CMH received 1,000 doses of the vaccine Tuesday, March 2, for distribution in Polk and surrounding counties in southwest Missouri. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the third COVID-19 vaccine now available in the U.S. and is approved for use in adults 18 years of age and older.
As of March 3, CMH has administered 8,040 doses of Moderna vaccine, including those administered with health care partners, to CMH employees, patients, long-term care residents and community members in CMH’s eight-county service area.
March 6 Vaccination Events
CMH will hold vaccination events Saturday, March 6, 9 a.m. – noon, at Citizens Memorial Hospital, Bolivar, and four other locations in Ash Grove, Buffalo, El Dorado Springs and Stockton, Missouri. The vaccination events are free and on a first come, first served basis. Pre-registration is not required.
- Citizens Memorial Hospital, Community Rooms, 1500 N. Oakland Ave., Bolivar – walk-in event (400 doses).
- Ash Grove Health Care Facility, 401 N. Medical Dr., Ash Grove – drive-thru event (150 doses).
- Colonial Springs Healthcare Center, 750 W. Cooper St., Buffalo – drive-thru event (150 doses).
- Community Springs Healthcare Facility, 400 E. Hospital Road, El Dorado Springs – drive-thru event (150 doses).
- Lake Stockton Healthcare Facility, 1523 S. Third St., Stockton – drive-thru event (150 doses).
“This is the first public opportunity for people in our region to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” says Mariah Hollabaugh, system pharmacy director at CMH. “Our goal is to vaccinate as many people as possible to protect them from severe illness, hospitalization and death. Adding this new vaccine to our toolbox means more people can get vaccinated. This is a great opportunity for the public to receive one shot and be vaccinated.”
Who Can Be Vaccinated
CMH follows the Missouri vaccination plan, which uses a priority-phased approach to vaccinating individuals. Currently, vaccinations are open to those in Phase 1A and Phase 1B-Tiers 1 and 2 including individuals 65 years of age and older, healthcare workers, those considered essential workers and adults 18-64 with underlying health conditions. The state will allow vaccination of individuals in Phase 1B-Tier 3 starting March 15. Go to https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/priority/ for additional information about eligibility.
Individuals who do not qualify include those who have received either Moderna or Pfizer vaccinations, individuals who have received within the last 90 days (since Dec. 6, 2020) a monoclonal antibody (Bamlanivimab) or convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19, and those who have received within the last 14 days another vaccine for influenza, pneumonia and shingles.