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More Iowans are eligible for COVID-19 vaccine; Mills County Public Health still in short supply

While some Iowa counties are moving forward with expanded groups, others say they don't have enough vaccines to finish up the phase they are in now.
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MILLS COUNTY, Ia. (KMTV) - While some Iowa counties are moving forward with expanded groups, others say they don't have enough vaccines to finish up the phase they are in now.

Mills County Public Health is only getting 200 Moderna doses a week. Director of Nursing Lorri Greiner is honest about the struggle to vaccinate everyone in her area.

"We've opened our pharmacies up to 64 and under with underlying health conditions and the elderly also. We here at Mills County Public Health are going to continue our list of 65 and older and people with disabilities and caregivers," Greiner said.

Mills County Public Health will only start vaccinating the next wave of people after the majority of the 1B phase - including people with disabilities - are vaccinated.

"It's disappointing because we want to give everyone their vaccination. We want to have good news for everyone who wants it but the bottom line is there's just not enough vaccine coming into our county," Greiner said.

Iowa senior George Gillespie sympathizes with those anxious to get their shot.

"Being in that susceptible time frame of if you get the vaccine and having known people in my age bracket who died from it, it has an impact on you," Gillespie said.

But Greiner warns, the rollout might not run as smoothly as one would hope.

"This next phase with 64 and under with underlying health conditions, it's really a lot of people. It's going to take us a long time to get through all of these people, especially with getting the vaccine in the quantities that we're getting them right now," Greiner said.

Rex Pharmacy in Atlantic tells 3 News Now it got 1200 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. It partnered with Cass County Public Health to do a large scale clinic.

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