
The Riley County Emergency Operations Center has selected Pottorf Hall in CiCo Park as its new location for the COVID-19 vaccination clinic.
The move comes following parking and congestion concerns with its previous location last week. Health Department Clinical Supervisor Aryn Price says the new location should help for a smoother process to administer those shots.
“We ask that everyone that is notified to receive the vaccine, arrive at the CiCo Park pool parking lot at the corner of Wreath and Robinson. That specific address is going to come out when you are notified,” she said.
Price says members from Emergency Management and the Riley County Police and Fire Departments will assist with parking, with small shifts then transitioned to Pottorf Hall. Those volunteers will help distribute necessary paperwork and check people in.
“They’ll hand you a red ticket, that’s your ticket to enter the vaccine site. Then we’ll check you in and just make sure we have your name on the list so that for our reporting purposes, we have all the necessary information to report that to the state, to receive further vaccine,” she said.
As for notifications for the second shot, Price says that will change somewhat.
“In the future, as we’re solely out of the mass notification system from the registrations received online, the same notification you receive for the first dose is going to happen again for the second dose,” she said.
Price also provides guidance on the recommended time frame between the first and second shots administered.
“Just so everyone is aware, the minimum time frame that you can go between your first dose and second dose, is 24 days. It is completely safe, completely effective to receive the second dose beyond that recommended time frame, but you just can’t go any shorter than that recommendation,” she said.
People 65 and older with severe medical conditions will get first priority for the shots as phase 2 continues.