“The Polk County Health Department would like to remind the public that we are STILL in Phase 1A. We are currently vaccinating:

• Healthcare personnel (HCP) with direct patient contact and thus who are unable to telework, including those who work in inpatient, outpatient, or community settings, who provide services to patients or patient’s family members, or who handle infectious materials.
• Health care personnel are defined as paid and unpaid persons serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials.
• Long term care facility staff and residents.

Vaccination of Phase 1B populations will begin no later than the first of February and will take several weeks to complete. This timeline is tentative and can change at any time due to the supply of vaccines.

Yesterday, the Iowa Department of Public Health announced that they will not immediately open COVID-19 vaccinations to all people older than 65 as recommended by the federal government. Polk County Health Department will continue to follow these guidelines until the Iowa Department of Public Health provides new information and opens up the vaccine to broader phase groups. The Iowa Department of Public Health will authorize the expansion of COVID-19 vaccinations via an amended Vaccine Shortage Order Form.

We will continue to utilize our website and social media as the main communication sources to inform residents when it is their time to receive the vaccine. Please visit https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/health-department/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information-for-the-public/ for the most up-to-date public vaccine information.”