Wyoming encourages all to get vaccinated

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (KIFI)-Goals are the same, but the challenges have changed as the Wyoming Department of Health works to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic.

As WDH Director Michael Ceballos explains, as the first vaccines were made available, the state was dealing with high case counts, hospitalizations, and deaths. 

Vaccine supplies were very limited at first, so the state had to target residents who were most likely to be infected and experience serious illness.

Now, vaccine supplies have grown and all residents age 16 or older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations.

Everyone eligible is encouraged to get a free, safe, and effective vaccine as soon as possible. And, if you are in an earlier priority group and haven’t been vaccinated yet, you have not missed your chance.

Ceballos says the department has made vaccines easy to find at local health care providers and pharmacies across the state.  

He stressed that the vaccination is important for everyone, include those who are young and healthy. 

“Anyone can get sick due to COVID-19 and it’s hard to know how each one of us will be affected. Anyone can get the virus and pass it on to someone who could struggle, said Ceballos.

“We have seen that COVID-19 illnesses can be serious and cause death. In addition, some people experience long-term conditions that severely impact their quality of life.”

The vaccine is also recommended for people who have had COVID-19 and previously recovered.  The infection does not provide lifelong immunity.

To learn more about the vaccine, visit the department’s website.