Catherine Pappas, community liaison for the Eureka Springs Hospital, said ESH is working to make it more convenient for people to get the Pfizer vaccine. In addition to the regular Friday vaccinations from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the clinic across the street from the hospital, this week the hospital planned to provide shots from 8 a.m. to noon at the Eureka Springs Farmers’ Market at the Community Center and from 2 – 5 p.m., and at the Eureka Springs Middle School on the same day. The free shots are with the Pfizer vaccine, the only vaccine currently approved for children 12 and older.
Pappas said they are seeing a lot more interest in the vaccines. On Aug. 6, they gave 30 first and 20 second shots at the clinic.
“People want to make sure their children are fully vaccinated before school starts,” Pappas said. “Also, more and more of our hospital employees are getting vaccinated. Other hospitals are requiring employees to get vaccinated, but the legislature says it is a person’s right to decide. In my opinion, get the vaccine. Get it.”
Pappas said there are two equations in this: Number one, you want to protect the people around you. Two, you don’t want to risk getting seriously ill or dying when a vaccine can prevent that.
Pappas said that while hospitals in Northwest Arkansas and throughout the state are overwhelmed with Covid patients, at the Eureka Springs Hospital they are often able to get Covid patients stabilized before they are sent home. Home health is contacted to provide follow-up care. More critically ill people are being sent on to larger hospitals for care in intensive care units.
“Even though the big hospitals are full, they are releasing patients and taking more people in,” Pappas said. “We need the larger hospitals for more critical Covid patients.
Recent research has shown that even fully immunized people can carry the virus and spread it to others. Pappas said that makes it important to continue to wear a mask when in public.
“If you are not wearing a mask, you could be a spreader and not know it,” she said. “In this community of people, we rely on tourist dollars. So, we are going to be getting visitors from out of town regularly. We aren’t just a regular town. We invite people to town and want them to be safe. As a precaution, wear a mask even if you have been vaccinated.”
The ECHO Clinic working with Smith Drugs has given more than 4,000 Moderna shots. While ECHO/Smith Drugs are not currently providing Moderna shots, Moderna vaccines have been transferred to Eureka Springs Hospital to increase access for people who need their second Moderna shots. Two shots of the Moderna vaccine are needed four weeks apart for maximum protection, while the Pfizer vaccine is needed three weeks apart.
For more information or to schedule a vaccination clinic if you have five or more people who want to get vaccinated, call Pappas at (281) 382-0054.
The Moderna vaccine is also available on a walk-in basis at the Holiday Island Pharmacy every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.