All residents 16 years and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Washoe County on April 5
Residents can schedule now – limited appointments are available
April 1, 2021. Reno/Sparks, NV – The Washoe County COVID-19 response team is pleased to announce that all residents 16 years and older in Washoe County are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting on Monday, April 5, 2021, and appointments will be available at the drive-through vaccine clinic at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center and area pharmacies and medical providers.
Click here to see if appointments are available at the Livestock Events Center. You must have an appointment to receive the vaccine – those without an appointment will be asked to exit the premises.
There is not enough vaccine to administer to every resident at this time; however, keep checking the website as we will add more appointments upon receiving more COVID-19 vaccine shipments. Appointments are first come, first served.
Area pharmacies and medical providers will also be providing the vaccine to those 16 years and older starting April 5 with their own scheduling platforms that can be accessed here.
“The road to ending this pandemic is clearer than it’s ever been,” said Kevin Dick, District Health Officer for Washoe County. “Monday is a huge milestone compared to where we’ve been since the COVID-19 pandemic started. With more than 44,000 COVID-19 cases and 660 COVID-19-related deaths, the vaccine is the surest way to get us back to normal and reopen our economy. While there is not enough vaccine for every resident to be vaccinated immediately at this time, we encourage you check our website frequently and area medical provider websites to find an appointment as soon as you can.”
Beginning April 12 the scheduling system will identify the type of vaccine that will be administered on each day. Residents will be able to select dates they want to be vaccinated based on the type of vaccine that will be administered (Pfizer, Moderna & Janssen (Johnson & Johnson); appointments prior to April 12 will receive the vaccine that is available that day. The vaccine type on any day is subject to change based on COVID-19 vaccine allotments received from the state of Nevada. Residents are encouraged to schedule to be vaccinated as quickly as slots are available rather than waiting for a specific vaccine.
The Washoe County COVID-19 Response Team, which consists of staff from Washoe County Health District, Nevada National Guard, FEMA and volunteers, has a six-lane drive through system with up to three vaccinators per lane. The team can administer over 300 vaccines per hour with the capability to administer over 3,000 per day based on available vaccine. The operation is open six days a week.
Side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine have been reported to include soreness at the injection site, fatigue and body aches. This means that the vaccine is working, and your body is building natural immunity to the virus without actually being infected with COVID-19.
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses; the second dose will be either three weeks (Pfizer) or four weeks (Moderna) from the day you received your first dose. Limited supply of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine could be available, and it is only one dose.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective and we’ve had no serious medical issues take place at our vaccine site since we started administering it in mid-December,” said James English, Regional Operations Chief for COVID-19 Response & Vaccine Deployment. “Our goal is to keep the general public and our staff safe while providing the vaccine. Our vaccine site has been fine-tuned to ensure a quick, easy and safe vaccine process.”
Those who receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the Livestock Events Center will receive an email the day before your appointment to fill out the COVID-19 Questionnaire (For Spanish version, click here). Bring any type of photo ID to your appointment. The COVID-19 vaccine is free and insurance is not required.
Only the Pfizer vaccine is available to those who are 16-17 years old and you must call to make an appointment for a person under 18 at 775-328-2427. The Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine is available for those 18 years and older.
For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, go to our website https://www.covid19washoevaccine.com/.
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.