This one — their vaccination record card — comes bearing the name of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This week, the Webster County Health Department was able to vaccinate 280 teachers and school personnel in a moment marking progress as the county entered the first tier of Phase 1B in the vaccine’s rollout across Iowa.

It’s the tip of the iceberg, with daunting numbers left of those who will be eligible for the vaccine just in Phase 1B alone. In Webster County, about 10,000 residents will be eligible for vaccination in this phase beginning Monday.

So far, the county has been notified that it will receive 700 doses — a vast differential showing the long road ahead.

-Messenger photo by Elijah Decious
Jenny Litwiller, an elementary English Language Learner teacher, looks at her U.S. Centers for Disease Control vaccination record card after her first COVID-19 shot Friday. After a difficult year, she hopes it's a first step towards being able to do normal things, like visit her mother and have family gatherings.

“We remain in a vaccine shortage. We are using every dose of vaccine as it becomes available to us, but it’s taking time to get the vaccine,” said Kari Prescott, director of WCHD. “We need people to understand that it’s going to take time. Please be patient, be kind and be understanding.”

Beginning early next week, WCHD will open up the opportunity for appointments to all who are eligible under Phase 1B. Residents will be notified through the county’s website, media outlets and WCHD’s Facebook page about when and how registration will begin.

But even the first drops pulled from the vials meant something to those filing into neatly organized seats at the Fort Dodge Community School District’s administration building this week.

For some teachers with health conditions that put them at high risk for COVID-19 complications, the first of two Moderna vaccine doses is a weight lifted.

“I was excited to get this,” said Susan Keller, a special education teacher at Fort Dodge Senior High School, who has been very cautious over the last year as a diabetic.

-Messenger photo by Elijah Decious Susan Keller, a special education teacher at Fort Dodge Senior High, was among the very first group of teachers to receive their COVID-19 vaccine Friday as Webster County rolls out Phase 1B of the vaccination effort.

And while it won’t lift her inhibitions to live without pandemic precautions any time soon, it’s a welcome relief in 2021.

For teachers like Jenny Litwiller, it’s hope for a new kind of normalcy again to bring back the things she misses most.

“I just really miss my mom. She has health conditions and I’ve been terrified I would pass something on to her,” said the elementary English Language Learner teacher. “I can’t even remember the last time I hugged her.”

Litwiller had COVID-19 in August. At first, she thought it was just sore muscles from remodeling her house. But when she struggled to catch her breath while carrying laundry up and down the stairs, she learned otherwise.

“That’s when I got scared,” she said.

And despite misinformation to the contrary, those who have had the virus can be infected again.

To her, this shot is more than protection from a virus — it’s the start of regaining normalcy to when, eventually, she will be able to see her family at gatherings and give hugs again.

Others, like Jacob Coleman, fit into more than one category that puts them at high risk for complications from the coronavirus.

“I fall into both age categories,” joked Coleman, who has been a substitute teacher at the Senior High for 11 years. “Age 65+ and school teacher.”

As WCHD vaccinated staff in Fort Dodge public schools, St. Edmond, Southeast Valley and Dayton, they asked districts to prioritize those over age 65, those who have high-risk conditions, those who work with children at high risk, and those who work with children in pre-K through second grade.

Those working with younger children are a priority because their students are still learning how to social distance and take the proper precautions, something the older kids have down.

As the county works with limited doses, Prescott said it is trying to take an equitable approach to distributing them.

“We like to even it out,” she said, with about half of doses being allocated to those over 65 and half allocated to the rest eligible during this tier and phase. “That’s not an absolute science. We’re just trying to keep it equitable, fair.”

There are 6,587 residents over age 65 in Webster County.

Soon, she said the county will develop planning on how to reach less accessible populations, like those without medical providers, those who speak Spanish or those without ready access to the Internet or media outlets to learn that they’re eligible.

Though Prescott said vaccine supplies will increase in the coming months, they will use every last dose they receive for now.

“It is very important that we are good stewards of the vaccine that has been allocated to us. Each vial provides doses for 10 people,” she said. “We want to ensure that we have 10 people on site every single time we tap into a bottle. We do not want to waste any of the vaccine.”

Vaccines are allocated by the state of Iowa and shipped to recipients directly from the manufacturer. Prescott said allocations are marked either “prime” to give residents their first shot, or “booster” to give them the second necessary shot for full protection.

In time, the county will begin to vaccinate with larger clinics where nurses will be able to vaccinate hundreds of people in an hour’s time. WCHD also plans to eventually give drive-thru vaccinations at the Iowa Central Community College East Campus, particularly for those with limited mobility. Other sites like Crossroads Mall could also help with mass vaccinations.

Community partners have been a crucial part of helping WCHD get in touch with those who are eligible for the vaccine during the four tiers of Phase 1B, particularly the elderly. Kelli Bloomquist, public information officer for WCHD, said that in addition to visits like the ones WCHD has done in senior communities, organizations like churches gathering those eligible will play a big role in reaching everyone.

“We are only strong as a community and as a county when we work together as one,” Prescott said.

So what’s the process?

Webster County Health Department will begin to take appointments for those eligible next week, but only after they have distributed the appropriate information through their website, social media and local media. Residents are asked not to call until that has happened.

• All appointments for the vaccine are done in groups of 10 or more to ensure no vaccine is wasted.

• Masks and social distancing during vaccination are required.

• WCHD asks all participants to print off and complete the vaccine consent forms prior to coming to the clinic, when they are scheduled. These forms are available online at WebsterCountyIA.org/covid-19. Those unable to print them can fill one out on site.

• Participants are asked to bring a form of identification and their insurance card.

• The COVID-19 vaccine is available for free. A small administrative fee is charged to insurance companies to cover the cost of staffing to provide the vaccine.

• On the date of your appointment, you’ll be checked in by a staff member or volunteer. Then, you’ll be placed in a large room with distanced chairs, where you will remain to receive your shot.

• After you have received your vaccine, you will be asked to remain seated for 15-20 minutes to ensure you do not have an allergic reaction.

• or questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, call the local COVID hotline at 515-227-7153.

• Most side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine are minimal and go away in a few days. Side effects mostly include: Pain where the shot was given, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills.