Mass Covid-19 vaccination this weekend in Bishop. You must be registered and have appointment.

Inyo County Health and Human Services announced that it is receiving additional Pfizer COVID19 vaccines this week, up to 970 doses, but optimistically more than 1,000 doses if more vaccine can be extracted from each bottle. You must be already registered with the county to receive the vaccination. Appointments and identification will be required.

Marilyn Mann, director of Inyo County’s Health and Human Services made the announcement during Tuesday’s Inyo County Board of Supervisors meeting. Inyo County still has a high per capita rate of positive Covid-19 case, 38.7 per 100,000 population.

Anna Scott, deputy director of Health and Human Services, said that over the weekend the state contacted Inyo County asking whether the county would be able to receive and quickly administer extra vaccine should any vaccine go unclaimed through the normal distribution process. The county got “official word” from the state on Sunday that the vaccines were on the way.

The county must use the allotment as quickly as possible. The county’s allotments must be used within a week after they are received. In anticipation of mass vaccinations as a possibility, Public Health has been working with other partners and have scheduled the clinic for Saturday and Sunday.

A fire has been lit under the department to get individuals over the age of 65 registered for this vaccine clinic, which Scott said, “… will take care of our current registration list.” The county will continue to run the normal community vaccine clinics which they have been running.

Northern Inyo Hospital, Southern Inyo Hospital, Valley Health Team in Bishop, and Vons will still be providing vaccinations for their regular scheduled appointment slots.

Appointments are available for Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21, with the second dose clinic March 13 and 14.  You must commit to attend BOTH the first and second dose clinics and receive both doses of vaccine; no scheduling exceptions are allowed.

Please use the following link to register https://myturn.ca.gov/ . When you are prompted to enter your address or zip code, use 93514 to locate the clinic schedule for the Tri-County Fairgrounds.

This mass vaccination clinic is BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. Please bring identification proving that you are an Inyo County resident and over the age of 65. People who do not meet these criteria and have an appointment will be turned away.

Those already registered for vaccinations will be receiving notification by email regarding available appointments.

Residents can register for vaccination appointments at https://myturn.ca.gov/ and you will be contacted when an appointment is available.

Residents that don’t have access to a computer, smart phone or tablet, can registration help by leaving their name and phone number at (760) 873-3232. Someone from Inyo County Public Health will return the call the following Tuesday or Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon.

It is important to note that, while the vaccines this weekend are being administered only in the Bishop area, the vaccines are for all Inyo County residents. If you are registered, whether from Lone Pine, Tecopa or up north, you will be contacted and receive the clinic information.

Why only in Bishop? The Pfizer vaccine requires ultra-cold storage, which makes it impossible to take to other areas around the county. NIH is the only local hospital with the necessary ultra-cold refrigeration units. HHS Director Mann wants residents to know that the vaccine in Bishop “… is available for all Inyo County residents who are on the list.”

The Pfizer inoculation is a two-dose series with a 21-day wait between the first and second dose. Residents receiving the shot should know that this is the “first dose” for those receiving the vaccine this weekend. There are plans for another mass vaccination clinic in three weeks for the second doses. If a resident might be unavailable for the second dose as scheduled, he or she should wait to take the shots through the regular weekly community clinics.

Listen to Sierra Wave Radio throughout the day over the next few days or visit this website, www.sierrawave.net, for additional information. We will post information on the times for this weekend’s vaccinations as soon as we received them.