Kosciusko County Health Officer Dr. William Remington and Kosciusko County Health Administrator Bob Weaver are pictured at the Kosciusko County Board of Health meeting Monday, Feb. 22. InkFreeNews photo by Lasca Randels

By Lasca Randels
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Kosciusko County Health Officer Dr. William Remington provided a vaccine update during the Kosciusko County Board of Health’s meeting Monday, Feb. 22.

According to Remington, 4,372 doses have been given, as of Monday, at the county health department in the past six weeks or so. 

That represents the total doses given, not total number of people who have received both doses, Remington clarified.

“We gave our first vaccine in this county that I’m aware of on Dec. 18 and that was our local hospital, KCH. On Jan. 11 we gave our first COVID vaccine at the health department,” Remington said. “I think immunizations nationwide started like Dec. 14 or 15.”

“Our Kosciusko County total is 8,192 first doses,” Remington said, adding that 3,068 people have completed the two dose series countywide.

Statewide, the number of new COVID-19 cases have dropped significantly. 

“What we don’t know is what this epi-curve is going to look like obviously in the next six or nine months,” Remington said.

Regarding vaccines, Remington said they are not ordering vaccines but rather are allocated vaccines from the state department of health. Remington said Kosciusko County started out receiving 500 doses the first two to three weeks “and all the slots available for those doses were filled.” 

“But then all of a sudden Bob (County Health Department Administrator Weaver) got a phone call saying ‘next week you’re getting 1,500,’ triple, and I’ll tell you there’s a big difference in how you do that day by day,” Remington said.

Remington was quick to point out that the county has not wasted any vaccine. 

“Any vial that’s been popped open and we’ve taken doses out of, if there are a couple of doses left at the end of the day, we find somebody to give it to,” Remington said.

He said the supply vs. demand is hard to predict.

“If we have a huge increase in the vaccine allocated to us we may need to change up the way we do it. We may need to change to a different venue,” he said. “We’ve had an offer from the City of Warsaw to use a rental space they have available.”

Remington said at the current time they have efficiency with their staff as well as state-of-the-art pharmaceutical-grade freezers and refrigerators along with a backup generator at the heath department building. 

For those reasons, Remington said, they’d prefer to stay where they are for the time being, but he expressed a willingness to do things differently if a change becomes necessary. 

For information on vaccine safety, please visit https://vaccine.coronavirus.in.gov/

In other news:

• Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert has joined the Kosciusko County Board of Health, replacing Cindy Kaiser.
• The next Kosciusko County Board of Health meeting will be held at 6 p.m. April 19.

Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert has joined the Kosciusko County Board of Health.