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Sisolak receives COVID-19 vaccine, renews push to vaccinate Nevadans 65+ as eligibility expands to food, hospitality workers

Sean Golonka
Sean Golonka
CoronavirusHealth CareState Government
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Steve Sisolak receives the COVID-19 vaccine from an Albertsons pharmacist

Standing alongside frontline grocery store workers, Gov. Steve Sisolak received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at a Las Vegas Albertsons on Thursday.

Sisolak previously announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 in November, more than 100 days prior to his vaccination. Health experts say that people are expected to have some level of immunity to the virus for 90 days after contracting it.

Sisolak, who is 67, is eligible for the vaccination as part of the 65+ age group, and he discussed the importance of continuing to vaccinate that group at the event.

“We're still really focusing on those 65 and older,” Sisolak said. “It's the most important thing we're still fighting for. We want to get to 75-80 percent of that population group. But we're still short of that right now.”

In a call with the media on Wednesday, state health officials urged more Nevadans aged 65 and older to get vaccinated, as only about 63 percent of Nevadans in that group have been vaccinated. That push came amid news that vaccination sites in Southern Nevada are dealing with unfulfilled appointments or no-shows.

However, Sisolak said on Thursday that the state is not experiencing any issues with demand for vaccinations.

“The supply is not outpacing the demand. We’ve got [a] huge amount of demand,” Sisolak said. “We're just increasing some of the capacities a little bit, we're still trying to get more and more vaccines into Nevada.”

Roman Avalos, a dairy supervisor, receives a dose of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine from Pharmacist Trashelle Miro at a pharmacy inside an Albertsons grocery store in Las Vegas on Thursday, March 11, 2020. (Daniel Clark/The Nevada Independent)

The state announced on Thursday that food service and hospitality workers, including frontline casino and hotel employees, are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine effective immediately in Clark County.

The state is also working with the Nevada Board of Pharmacy to begin vaccinating some Nevadans aged 55 and older starting next week, but that group is limited to those with underlying health conditions, with disabilities or who are experiencing homelessness.

Sisolak said it was important to vaccinate hospitality workers to make Las Vegas as safe and healthy as possible and to continue to bring business to the city.

“You’re having a convention, don’t go to Texas or Florida, come to Las Vegas,” Sisolak said. “We’re vaccinating our frontline workers, so it makes it safer for them, for their families, for all the guests that we're bringing in.”

Eligible Nevadans can schedule their vaccine appointments at: https://vax4nv.nv.gov/patient/s/.

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