Photo: Province of British Columbia, CC 2.0
The vaccination news is coming at us faster than we can get it out, so we’re going to try to collect it here in one big ol’ roundup.
Here’s what we know about where you might be able to get a shot this week.
Community Pharmacy in Springdale has available appointments
Fayetteville public health officer Marti Sharkey sent us a tip to let us know that Community Pharmacy in Springdale has available COVID-19 vaccination appointments open on Thursday and Friday of this week.
The pharmacy is located at 400 W. Emma Ave. in Springdale.
According to their website, doses of the Moderna vaccine are available, with appointments open on Thursday afternoon and on Friday.
For more information, including links to sign up, visit this website.
Vax Force Facebook Group tracks available vaccine in NWA
A new Facebook group created by local food delivery hero Chris Selby and administered by local resident Della Levan, is helping to keep track of vaccine clinics and other information related to the COVID-19 in NWA.
The group, called Vax Force Northwest Arkansas, etc. allows members to share information on where and how to get vaccinated in the region, ask questions about the process, and share information on their experiences with the process.
The group was just created last week, and has already grown to over 400 members as of this morning.
The rules, as outlined by Selby, are pretty simple.
“No politics. No shaming those who get vaccines. We’re in this crap together and we’re gonna help each other get out of it,” he said.
You can check it out here.
Northwest Arkansas Council creates Vaccine Calendar
The Northwest Arkansas Council has created a helpful tool to help keep track of all the one-time and recurring vaccination events happening around the region.
The calendar includes links, dates, and information on drive-thru clinics, and other opportunities to get the jab in various communities across Northwest Arkansas.
This week, for example, there are details of a Veterans Vaccine Clinic at Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks Clinic in Fayetteville on the calendar today through Friday, and a vaccination clinic in Rogers on Thursday.
Check out the calendar here for more information.
Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks Clinic
As we mentioned above, Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks is hosting a vaccine clinic in Fayetteville this week.
The clinic will take place Wednesday, March 10 through Friday, March 12 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. daily in the primary care entrance area.
Veterans should bring a VA ID card for verification.
The clinic will be vaccinating from the current eligibility criteria in the state, along with any veteran who is 40 years of age or older, on dialysis, undergoing chemotherapy, ave had a transplant, are homeless, or are an essential worker. Proof of being an essential worker is required.
For more information, call 479-443-4301.
Pat Walker Health Center on UA campus now offering vaccine appointments
The Pat Walker Health Center on the University of Arkansas campus is now accepting COVID-19 vaccination appointments for all U of A employees and other eligible members of the campus community who are included in any group of Phase 1-A or Phase 1-B of the state’s vaccination plan.
Employees and eligible students can schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointment online through the Pat Walker Health Center’s Patient Web Portal: health.uark.edu/appointments.
If you are unable to access the Patient Web Portal, please call 479-575-4451, option 1.
If you previously had any adverse reactions after a vaccination, call to schedule your appointment.
Only a limited number of appointment slots are available; however, additional appointments will open up as vaccine doses are delivered. If no appointments are available, continue to check back a later time.
Vaccinations are available by appointment only.
For a bit more information, visit uark.edu.
New website notifies members of opportunities for left over vaccine
By now we’ve all heard stories of someone lucking into a COVID-19 vaccine by simply being at the right place at the right time near the end of the day when a clinic has leftover shots.
A new website is working to try and streamline that process of utilizing leftover shots to make sure none go to waste.
The site, called Dr. B, allows users to sign up for a stand-by list for leftover vaccine should some become available in their area.
The site does prioritize individuals based on age and pre-existing conditions, so some of that information is collected when you sign up. It also allows clinics to sign up for the service to notify prioritized individuals in their area when vaccine may have been thawed, and is set to expire.
According to the site, more than a million people have signed up for the service. For more information, you can check out the website here.
More Walmart locations receiving vaccine
We noticed that more Walmart locations in the region have begun receiving vaccine this week.
Appointments were available earlier this week at locations on Joyce Boulevard in Fayetteville, and in Farmington for the first time, along with a handful of other locations around the state. Many of the new locations were distributing the Janssen / Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which does not require a super-cold freezer for storage.
VaccineSpotter.org is still a good spot to find appointments at Walmart locations around the state, and though there still isn’t a ton of availability in NWA, if you’re willing to travel to Fort Smith, for example, you could get a shot today.
Washington Regional offering vaccine appointments on new website
As we mentioned earlier this week, Washington Regional Hospital has a new website for self-scheduling vaccine appointments.
A quick perusal of the site this morning lists available appointments as soon as tomorrow, with plenty of availability listed for the coming weekend.
For more info or to schedule an appointment, visit wregional.com/covid19vaccine.
Out-of-state availability
We’ve heard from several NWA residents recently who are traveling to Oklahoma and Missouri for their vaccinations and having success, in particular from those with health conditions that may put them at risk for serious illness as a result of the virus.
Walmart locations in both states are scheduling out-of-state residents for the vaccine, according to reports from those who have received vaccine recently, and have availability right now.
Both Oklahoma and Missouri are currently vaccinating individuals with pre-existing conditions, which is not yet the case in Arkansas.
Oklahoma is currently vaccinating in Phase 3 of their plan, which is the final step before opening up to all residents. Their Phase 2 plan included “adults with one or multiple comorbid conditions including not limited to hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic lung, liver or renal disease, cancers, who are at high risk of mortality and severe morbidity resulting from COVID infection.” Here’s more information on who is eligible in Oklahoma.
Missouri is currently vaccinating in their Phase 1B, Tier 2 priority group, which includes “adults with cancer, Chronic Kidney Disease, COPD, Heart Conditions, weakened immune system due to organ transplant, severe obesity (BMI >40), pregnancy, Sickle Cell Disease, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, or individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities such as Down Syndrome.” Here’s more information on who is eligible for vaccine in Missouri.
According to the NY Times, Arkansas is one of only 13 states that isn’t currently offering vaccine to residents with certain health problems.
Eligibility information, community pharmacy wait lists, and more
The state is currently working to vaccinate the 1-B priority group which includes individuals over 65 years of age, workers in food manufacturing, and workers in education including higher ed, K-12, and daycare. Governor Asa Hutchinson this week added essential workers in food and agriculture, grocery stores, meal delivery, postal service, public transit, government workers, houses of worship, along with those with developmental disabilities as new groups now eligible for the vaccine.
Vaccination clinics are also taking place around the region, including at Washington Regional, Northwest Health, and Mercy in Springdale.
Here are links/info for the waiting lists for pharmacies in Washington County for the 1-A and early 1-B group:
» Collier Drug Stores – Visit this website
» Medical Arts Pharmacy – Visit this website
» Community Pharmacy – Visit this website
» Heartland Pharmacy – Visit this website
» Walmart – Visit this website
» Sam’s Club – Visit this website Pharmacy
A list of other pharmacies around the state vaccinating right now is available here.
