Jefferson Healthcare expands vaccines to 80-year-olds

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Jefferson Healthcare announced Monday that it will now be offering COVID-19 vaccines to individuals 80 years old and older.

Last week the hospital district said it would be coordinating with other distributors to vaccinate people 85 years old and older. This week’s expansion follows a recommendation from state officials that Jefferson Healthcare administer first doses quickly and efficiently without reserving second doses. Original plans allowed for second doses to be reserved due to supply fluctuations but those second shots will have to come in subsequent shipments.

Individuals over 80 years old who are unable to access Jefferson Healthcare's website to schedule an appointment can call Jefferson County Emergency Management at 360-344-9791 to schedule. 

The group of people who can receive vaccinations was expanded to include those who face a greater risk of getting the coronavirus.

“It’s the 80-plus crowd that becomes our most vulnerable," said Dr. Joe Mattern, chief medical officer for Jefferson Healthcare.

"They are the ones who are most likely to be hospitalized and more likely to die from the disease,” he said. “Keeping our hospital from being overwhelmed by COVID makes it easier to deliver high quality care for all the non-COVID diseases we still have to treat like heart failure and broken hips.”

Patients who are eligible for vaccination under the 1a criteria remain eligible to receive immunization and can email vaccineresponse@jeffersonhealthcare.org.

People receiving a vaccination through Jefferson Healthcare should bring the following to their appointments:

• A state-issued ID that shows age and residence in Jefferson County;

• Insurance information, if applicable; and

• A completed patient acknowledgment form (available at jeffersonhealthcare.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Adult-COVID-19-Vaccine-Patient-Acknowledgment-and-Administration-Record-Pfizer-BioNTech.pdf).

Recipients in the 1a group should also bring an employee badge or healthcare employment identifier.

Those receiving a vaccine should also review the V-Safe Information Sheet (https://jeffersonhealthcare.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/V-Safe-Information-Sheet.pdf)and the EUA Fact Sheet (https://jeffersonhealthcare.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Pfizer-BioNTech-COVID-19-Vaccine-EUA-Fact-Sheet-for-Recipients.pdf) prior to arrival.