A COVID-19 vaccination site in Churchill County is offering the vaccine to anyone 16 and older regardless of what county they live in. KUNR’s Lucia Starbuck stopped by the site on Thursday to learn more.
There were several rows of cars waiting in a large gravel lot in Fallon a little after mid-morning Thursday.
Mark Hanger and his wife Juanita were among those near the front of the line in order to get her second shot.
“We just get here really early, you know? So like today, they started at 10. I think we got here about quarter to nine to make sure,” Mark Hanger said.
This vaccine site is first come, first served, regardless of residency. That’s what attracted the Hangers. The couple lives in Silver Springs, which is in Lyon County. Mark said no appointments were available.
Churchill County Manager Jim Barbee said that’s drawn a number of people from other areas to Churchill County.
“I’ve actually been working the lines, so I’ve had a lot of [opportunities] to talk to folks as they’ve been utilizing it, both folks in Churchill County and folks from surrounding [counties]. And they’ve really appreciated that they didn’t have to go through the process of making an appointment,” Barbee said.
The site has also recently moved to accommodate more people. Barbee said they can now administer around 300 shots an hour.
“Our focus is getting our community back open, getting life more normal for our seniors, for schools, for kids here in our community, and this is a big step forward in doing that. The more folks that we can get vaccinated, the sooner we can return to the normal that we enjoy out here in rural Nevada,” Barbee said.
The clinic is open this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with vaccinations given on a first come, first served basis.
Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccination site in Churchill County here. More information on the COVID-19 vaccine statewide in Nevada can be found here.
Lucia Starbuck is a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
