VALLEY CITY, N.D. (CCHD) – The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are now available at City County Health District (CCHD) in Valley City. In addition other places to get a covid vaccine include Thrifty White (Moderna), Nucara, Sanford (Pfizer) and Essentia . “We have vaccine for everyone,” emphasizes Theresa Will, the Director at CCHD.

To sign up for a covid vaccination simply go to the CCHD website at www.citycountyhealth.org to register. If you do not have a computer call 845-8518 Monday-Friday. The vaccine is totally free.

“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been put on ‘pause’ temporarily by the CDC and the North Dakota Department of Health,” states Theresa Will, City County Health District director, “to investigate an occurrence of one in a million events of a blood clot.”

CCHD also received the Pfizer vaccine which has been approved to be used in individuals as young as 16 years. CCHD held a covid vaccine clinic at Valley City Public Schools in the Hi-Liner Activity Center giving 60 doses. They have more Pfizer vaccine and want to hold another clinic for high school students as soon as possible.

“The sooner that we can get everyone over the age of 16 vaccinated the sooner we will be able to get back to our normal lives,” emphasizes Dr. James Buhr, the county medical officer. Buhr continues, “COVID-19 is a new virus that requires a new vaccine, but the vaccines that are now available are based on decades of scientific research. I was in one of the vaccine company’s test group and felt completely safe.”

Theresa Will notes that City County Health will come to you if you have 5 or more individuals who want the vaccine. Simply call CCHD at 845-8518 to schedule the date and time.

From now until when 80% of the population has been vaccinated the CDC identifies that everyone should continue to take precautions—like wearing a mask in public, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowd and poorly ventilated public spaces—until we know more. Presently Barnes County has 41.3% that are fully Covid vaccinated, with 34.2% vaccinated in the state of North Dakota.

Testing continues to be important. Every Monday and Friday the CCHD will be at The W.E. Osmon (VCSU) Fieldhouse from 1pm to 2pm testing. If you have any symptoms, it is important to be tested. If you have symptoms and need to be tested at other times contact your clinic.

For more information on COVID-19 call CCHD at 845-8518 or go to their website at www.citycountyhealth.org.