September 28, 2021 |
The Pfizer vaccines for COVID-19 are now available locally to residents in Encampment, Riverside and Saratoga. The North Platte Valley Medical Clinic last week announced that the Platte Valley Clinic received authorization from the Wyoming Department of Health to dispense the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
As part of the authorization, the refrigerators and freezers used to store the vaccine needed to be certified. Staff needed additional training to dispense the mRNA vaccine. The clinic will receive two vials of vaccine a month. Each vial contains 10 doses. Once the vials are opened, the vaccine must be administered within 12 hours.
Because of the short shelf life after opening, the clinic is asking interested people to join a waiting list. When enough people have signed up to ensure vial can be dispensed, a vaccination day will be scheduled so the doses are safely used within the allowable time.
Clinic Manager Heidi Sifford said in a statement that the vaccine has proven effective against variants, including the Delta. She also noted there is no cost to receive the vaccine. To join the waiting list for October, call the Platte Valley Clinic at (307) 326-3169.
Related: Construction on critical access hospital begins in Saratoga
