Vaccine now available to 65 and older, those with pre-existing conditions

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Starting Tuesday, Jan. 12, the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to anyone 65 and older as well as anyone with pre-existing health conditions that would make them vulnerable to the coronavirus.

We are in week four of vaccinations, and the state of Mississippi has doubled its total number of distributions from last week.

In a press conference Tuesday, Governor Tate Reeves said the state is up to about 30,000 “shots in arms” a week– a trend he hopes will continue to climb.

He said more than 57,000 Mississippians have received their first dose, and more than 5,000 have now had their second dose.

“To our emergency first responders, to our police officers, to our firefighters, and to our teachers, you’re on deck. The next time we have an update, I expect it will be to announce that the vaccine will become available to you. So please stay tuned. If you are currently in one of those professions, and you have a pre-existing condition, or if you are over the age of 65, do not feel the need to wait. Get an appointment today,” said Reeves.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Lowndes County has 245 open appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations this week.

For more information on how to set up an appointment to be vaccinated, call 1-877-978-6453, or visit covidvaccine.umc.edu.

However, be aware that both the phone lines and the UMC website are experiencing technical difficulties from the amount of people trying to use them. So, you may have trouble setting up your appointment.

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