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As of January 20, 543 Moderna COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in Pike County to both health care workers and those ages 75 and up.

Corey Kirkland, administrator of the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Southeastern District, said in the 10-county area, 4,775 vaccinations have been administered to the same two groups.

“The vaccine has been administered with no reports of reactions to the vaccine,” Kirkland said. “Some have experienced soreness in the arm for a couple of days, much like from a flu shot or, perhaps, any other shot.”

Kirkland said the vaccine is a scarce resource so each site is doing its best to make sure that the vaccine is managed so that there is little, if any, waste of the vaccine.

He pointed to one COVID-19 vaccination site that was faced with the possibility of losing nine doses of the vaccine but aborted the loss of the valuable vaccine by making calls to those on a waiting list.

Kirkland said the Southeast Public Health District is working with private providers and local pharmacies in an effort to offer more options for the COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Moderna vaccine requires two shots with a 28-day range between the two.

There is some immunity from one dose with 95 percent effectiveness following the second shot, Kirkland said.

The Pike County Health Department will administer the Moderna vaccine on Thursday, January 21; Tuesday, January 26 and Thursday, January 28.

For appointments, call 1-855-566-5333 or the Pike County Health Department at 566-2860 and dial “O” for the operator.