By: Lani Hansen, Senior Reporter
OKMULGEE, Oklahoma– The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Department of Health are busy pushing out vaccinations weekly.
During a LiveWire with Mvskoke Vision, MCN Secretary of Health Shawn Terry released information from the first round of vaccination distributions up until week three on Jan. 5. The first round there was about 460 doses of Pfizer vaccine, this went out to the MCNDH employees.
Week two there was about 1,500 doses of Moderna vaccines, finishing up with health employees and beginning the distribution to tribal employees.
“We started working through a list of our elders too,” Terry said. “Each of our facilities has a list of patients that are over the age of 65 or they have some high risk factors. The list goes from the oldest to the youngest.”
Now that most of the schools are returning to in-person, Terry said they have been working with schools asking them to start putting a list together in case there is leftover vaccinations.
“In the beginning of week three we received another 1,500 doses of Moderna vaccinations,” Terry said. “So this round we will vaccinate elders and more employees.”
During week three there was a hold on Wednesday Jan. 6 where health did not distribute vaccinations. The same week for round two they started distributing Pfizer vaccinations again but to the same health employees who received it first.
“In the first two weeks we gave out roughly 1,900 doses of vaccines,” Terry said.
Since they are still working with employees and elders, there is no scheduled date to when citizens will get vaccinated. Terry said they hope to give out vaccinations to citizens who do not fall under the higher risk within a few weeks.
The Pfizer vaccines they have received have only been for the health employees, and once the shipment comes they have five days to distribute. The Moderna vaccines can be stored up to one month.
Terry added how important the vaccine is by saying, “We had both Okemah and Okmulgee hospitals full. Our emergency room and hospital beds were both full and we could not transfer any patients to Tulsa. We have seen many of our citizens pass away. This has been a devastating virus, and we need people to get vaccinated.”
With this vaccine, they are wanting to help and protect MCN citizens.
For more information about the COVID vaccine through MCN, call 918-758-3601.
Will you still be able to vaccinate non citizens? My husband is a citizen and got his last week. I went online to register last week and have no idea when they can do it.