COVID-19 shots becoming available to many over 18 in Wyoming

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) - Shots of COVID-19 vaccine are now available or soon will be for anybody over 18 in almost one-third of Wyoming's counties.

In the last few months, the vaccine has been available in Wyoming to health care workers, first responders, residents of long-term care facilities and senior citizens, among others.

Vaccines are now widely available or about to be in eight of Wyoming's 23 counties: Campbell, Converse, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Sheridan, Washakie and Weston, Wyoming Department of Health spokeswoman Kim Deti said Thursday.

At the same time, anybody who qualified for a vaccine earlier can still get it, Campbell County Public Health Director Jane Glaser told the Gillette News Record.

The department recently got almost $500,000 in federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding to help with vaccination clinic costs.

"We were not getting complete supplies with the shipments of vaccines," Glaser said. "We've had to use our own funds to purchase syringes and various things."

Campbell County Public Health has been doing three vaccination clinics per week, averaging between 260 and 300 vaccines per clinic.

"We're having a really good rollout with the vaccine so far but it's definitely not going to be over anytime soon," Glaser said.