Some Long-Term Care Vaccinations in NE Could Start Next Week

COVID vaccinations for just over 20 percent of long term care facilities across Nebraska could start as soon as next week under the vaccine rollout plan developed by the state.

During his pandemic response update Friday morning, Governor Pete Ricketts said there are a total of about 528 facilities across the state, most of which will have vaccinations offered through Walgreens, CVS or community pharmacies. “There’s about 114 that are not a part of the pharmacy program. So they’re going to be taken care of through our local health departments with the Moderna vaccine, and that will likely start next week,” said Ricketts.

Ricketts says for the remainder that are in the pharmacy program, the federal government required half of the needed vaccines be ‘banked’ before those shots begin.

He says that meant 11,700 of the Pfizer doses were held back, or banked, this week, to be matched with the same number next week, allowing pharmacy-based long-term care vaccinations to start the week of Dec. 28.

Ricketts say some facilities opted not to be in the pharmacy program, while others are located where no such pharmacies exist, generally in rural areas.