Editors Note: Due to the number of people who wanted to get on the list for the COVID vaccine, the Medical Associates of Vicksburg’s phone system crashed on Wednesday. To allow those who need immediate medical assistance to get it, and to give the phone operators a break, Medical Associates’ Dr. Dan Edney said they are setting up an email address where patients can send a request to be added to the COVID vaccine waiting list. The email address is covidvaccine@mavmd.com.

 

It is what Warren County has been waiting for.

Two hundred doses of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived Tuesday at Medical Associates of Vicksburg and immediately started going into the arms of eager patients.

“The Centers For Disease Control released 200 doses to us and we got them this afternoon and we have already deployed 100 of the doses in four hours,” Dr. Dan Edney with Medical Associates of Vicksburg said.

Edney said the way the vaccine supplies are deployed is based on how quickly they can reach the arms of people.

“We have quickly deployed these doses, so hopefully we will get more from the state,” he said, adding, “The state has been upset that there have been places that they have sent vaccines that have not been deployed at all or very little, so we are not wasting a single dose. All 200 doses will be out in a day and a half.”

More vaccine appears to be on its way to Warren County.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. announced that 200 more doses will be available Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Vicksburg-Warren Family Health Care Clinic, 1203 Mission Park Dr. Those vaccines will be administered to the first 200 adults age 65 and over only.

For those unable or ineligible to get to Thursday’s vaccination site, Edney said, “People are welcome to call and get on our vaccine list and as soon as we get deliveries we will start calling people again.”

Residents do not have to be patients at Medical Associates of Vicksburg, he said. Vaccines are for the entire community.

Currently, however, the vaccine is only being given to those who are 65 and older or 16 and older with underlying health conditions.

“You still have to qualify. It’s not wide open yet,” Edney said.

Edney said upon arrival the doses administered Tuesday were given to all the home health nurses they could reach, as well as those who work in dental offices and pharmacies, and some high-risk patients.

Edney said he is hoping to have the first 200 vaccines his clinic received distributed by Wednesday — thus demonstrating Warren County can get the vaccine in arms.

On Tuesday, State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs tweeted Vicksburg will be receiving 500 vaccines to be distributed to local partners.

It’s an effort to address geographic and racial disparities. Dobbs’ tweet stated only 2.6 percent of those living in Warren County have been vaccinated versus 4.2 percent statewide.

Dobbs gave credit to Mayor George Flaggs, State Sen. Briggs Hopson and State Rep. Kevin Ford for their efforts in pushing for vaccines in Warren County.

With the first vaccines arriving, Warren County is still anticipating it will also have a drive-thru site.

Warren County Emergency Management Agency Director John Elfer said, “We are working, have been working and will continue working to have everything set and ready to go when the vaccine arrives.”