St. Bernards to offer COVID-19 vaccines for free to the elderly
by February 3, 2021 11:29 am 610 views
St. Bernards Healthcare has started booking appointments to anyone 70 years or older who wishes to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at no charge.
The healthcare system will receive vaccine requests through a new, online registration process and a dedicated call center, and eligible applicants must reside within St. Bernards’ service area in northeast Arkansas.
Regional residents may volunteer for a vaccine appointment by visiting this link and completing the online, HIPAA-compliant form. In addition, persons without internet access may call (870) 351-7171 for help completing it.
St. Bernards Medical Center Administrator Michael Givens said St. Bernards wanted to create a seamless process for this specific age group to receive the vaccine.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted older populations particularly hard, and we believe we must do whatever we can to help, whether a person has a patient history with us or not,” Givens said. “While we still have limited available doses, we encourage any northeast Arkansas resident aged 70 or older to contact us for an appointment.”
St. Bernards will administer the vaccines at St. Bernards Auditorium, located at 505 East Washington Avenue in Jonesboro. Due to limited doses, however, individuals must make appointments in advance.
To date, St. Bernards has only administered the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, which received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Individuals who receive an initial dose also receive an appointment for a second dose, scheduled for 21 days later.
Should St. Bernards begin administering vaccines from another manufacturer, it would make appointments for follow-up doses based on recommendations from the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it said.