Seniors 65 and older asked to sign up for waiting list to receive COVID-19 vaccine
Vaccine appointments for seniors to start next week
Jan. 14, 2021. Reno-Sparks, Nev. The Regional Information Center is asking Washoe County residents 65 years and older to sign up and be placed on a waiting list to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine in Washoe County makes it impossible to vaccinate every Washoe County resident 65 years and older right away; however, plans are in place to randomly select those on the waiting list to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as they become available. Vaccine appointments for seniors will start next week.
If you are 65 years or older, you can sign up for the waiting list by filling out this form online, or call 775-328-2427 to sign up. We strongly suggest filling out the form online if possible, but we understand not every resident has access to email. There is no timeline for when every individual on the list will get vaccinated because we often find out just 2-3 days prior how many vaccines we will receive for the week.
Based on supply of the vaccine from the state and federal government, the Regional COVID-19 team will randomly select individuals on the list who are 70 years and older (70+ is the first priority under the General Population Lane of the State’s COVID-19 Vaccine Playbook) and contact them to schedule an appointment. The Health District is working with Washoe County Human Services Agency – Senior Services to identify low-income, underserved seniors to vaccinate as well.
“As we continue to vaccinate our essential workforce, we are working to administer vaccines to our seniors because we know the risk of complication from COVID-19 that can occur to that population,” said Kevin Dick, District Health Officer for Washoe County. “We simply don’t have enough vaccine for every senior right now, but our goal is to compile a waiting list to vaccinate seniors quickly and fairly as we have vaccine and capacity to administer it through the Health District.”
This waiting list is one of several options for seniors to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Washoe County and is not associated with other vaccine events such as Renown Health and Saint Mary’s. Since the Health District is also responsible for vaccinating essential workers under the State’s prioritization, it may not be able to dispense vaccinations to the 65 or 70 and older population as quickly as other providers, as those providers become available. Individuals who are eligible for vaccinations based on their age group are urged to sign up with healthcare, pharmacy, or other providers as these opportunities become available to ensure they have the best opportunity to receive the vaccination as soon as possible.
Once a person receives confirmation that he or she is on the list, there is no need to do anything further. The Washoe County Health District will contact you to schedule an appointment as vaccine becomes available and further instructions will be communicated.
You must have an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine and verify your name and date of birth at the check-in station; those who show up without an appointment will be turned away.
Some important things to know:
- In Washoe County, there are approximately 79,300 people who are 65 years and older.
- The Health District currently has about 2,500 COVID-19 vaccines on hand.
- There is not enough vaccine to give every senior aged 65 and older a vaccine right away
- The COVID-19 team is working to administer vaccines in both Lane 1 (frontline/essential workforce) and Lane 2 (General population).
- For a better understanding of the priority order, visit the State’s COVID-19 Vaccine Playbook for Statewide Operations – Read the Playbook Brief here.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, go to our website.
For email alerts about the COVID-19 vaccine, sign up here.
The COVID-19 Regional Information Center is working together to deliver COVID-19 community updates in a unified manner. While press releases are only sent periodically for significant events, you can always get daily results on our website, https://covid19washoe.com/, our COVID-19 Dashboard or by following us on Twitter @COVID19Washoe. The entities include: City of Reno, City of Sparks, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Regional Transportation Commission, REMSA, Reno Sparks Indian Colony, Reno Police Department, Reno Fire Department, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District, University of Nevada, Reno, Washoe County, Washoe County Health District, Washoe County School District and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. Also in the group are the area hospitals, Northern Nevada Medical Center, Renown Health and Saint Mary’s.