Covid-19 Vaccine Information

Effective April 05, 2021, any person age 16 or 18 and over (as defined by the respective vaccine Emergency Use Authorization) is eligible to receive a vaccination from enrolled COVID-19 Vaccine Providers, as per a memo issued by Iowa Department of Public Health Interim Director, Kelly Garcia.

Current vaccines approved for emergency use by the FDA are produced by Moderna (a 2-dose series separated by 28 days available to those 18 and older), Pfizer-BioNTech (a 2-dose series separated by 21 days available to those 16 and older) and Johnson & Johnson (a single dose available to those 18 and older). Public health experts note all three provide strong protection and suggest taking whichever vaccine is first available to you.

As of March 17, 2021 all the information provided below was taken from these official sources: CDC , Johnson County, IA , Linn County, IA

All information on the site is intended for general information, and we shall not be liable for any actions taken. This page offers links to other sites, thereby enabling you to leave this site and go directly to the linked site. It is not a substitute for medical advice from a health care professionals and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent Covid-19. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health care professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, existing or new medical treatment. Do not disregard medical advice or postpone consultation with your health care professional because of information that you have read on this website.

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. It is mild for most people, but can cause severe illness and result in death for some. Older adults and people with chronic medical conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes, have the greatest risk of becoming severely ill.

COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things they had stopped doing because of the pandemic. Learn more.

Johnson and Linn Counties are working with local, county, state, and federal partners to keep our community informed about COVID-19. Vaccine supply is extremely limited. We ask our community to be patient as Public Health works to vaccinate as many individuals as possible given the vaccine availability. While supply is limited, Johnson and Linn Counties Public Health are following federal and state recommendations for vaccine rollouts. As of March 8, we are at Phase 1B Supplemental, which includes those 64 and under with medical conditions, as per CDC’s guidelines.

Adults of any age with certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19. Severe illness from COVID-19 is defined as hospitalization, admission to the ICU, intubation or mechanical ventilation, or death.

Adults of any age with the following conditions are at increased risk of severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19:

COVID-19 is a new disease. Currently there are limited data and information about the impact of many underlying medical conditions on the risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Based on what we know at this time, adults of any age with the following conditions might be at an increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19:

All Eligible Populations

Health Care Personnel (Phase 1A)

Long-Term Care Resident (Phase 1A)

Adult 65+ (Phase 1B)

Individual 16-64 with a Medical Condition (Effective March 8)

Phase 1B Tiers 1-5:

First responders
PK-12 school staff, early childhood education, and childcare workers
Food, agriculture, distribution and manufacturing workers who work in or live in congregate settings that DO NOT ALLOW for social distance (does not include worksites where employees can social distance or
restaurant, grocery and other essential businesses)
Individuals with disabilities living in home settings and their direct care staff
Staff of and individuals living in congregate settings (does not include college dormitories)
Government officials and staff engaged in state business at the Iowa Capitol during the legislative session
Inspectors responsible for hospital, long-term care, and child safety
Correctional facility staff and individuals incarcerated

WHERE CAN I GET MY VACCINE?

Iowa Vaccine Alerts – Automated account, tweets when new appointment openings are found in IA. You can opt to receive alerts.

United Way’s 211 Call Center can help Iowans age 65 and older who do not have online access or skills to find a vaccination appointment. When you call, a 211 specialist will ask for names and age or birthdates, but will not ask for social security numbers, insurance, or financial information. Learn about 211.

Hospitals

The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and Mercy Iowa City are contacting patients directly at this time through mychart/email or phone. If you have used a provider through either system in the past two years, you will fall into the group they are vaccinating.

Complete a short form on the UIHC website to express interest in receiving the vaccine, even if you are not a patient. When you are eligible and doses are available, they may contact you through mychart or by phone to schedule your appointment. UIHC – click on “express interest”

https://uihc.org/covid-19-vaccine-information

Pharmacies

These pharmacies are currently able to receive COVID-19 vaccine from the Federal Pharmacy Partnership. This DOES NOT mean these pharmacies have vaccine daily. You will need to check on these pharmacies websites frequently for available vaccine appointments. You do not need to be a current customer of any of these pharmacies.

Hy-Vee (Iowa City and Coralville)

On-line scheduling available:

https://www.hy-vee.com/my-pharmacy/covid-vaccine

Nucara (Coralville)

Join our COVID-19 Vaccination Waitlist:

https://www.nucara.com/coronavirus

Towncrest Pharmacy (locations in Iowa City and Solon)

Information:

https://www.towncrest.com/covid-19-vaccine-info

Vaccine Providers

Providers are reaching out to eligible patients in multiple ways. This includes by mail, phone, text, email, or messaging such as MyChart to offer appointments. In Iowa, the Retail Pharmacy Program also began the week of February 8, 2021. Additional pharmacies will be added at a later date. While many of our residents may now be eligible to receive vaccine, many will not be contacted right away from their provider to schedule an appointment or – depending on the provider – be able to sign up online for an appointment time. Not all providers have vaccine to offer, and those that do have very limited amounts.

Appointments are required, and fill quickly, due to limited amounts of vaccine available.
More appointments will open as vaccine supplies increase.
Providers are asking patients not to call or walk-in to clinics or pharmacies to request vaccine at this time. A high volume of calls makes it more difficult to address patients with immediate needs.
Beginning March 8, vaccine allocated to pharmacies participating in the Retail Pharmacy Program may offer vaccine to all eligible individuals. These appointments will be on a first come, first serve basis to all eligible populations. Retail Pharmacy programs receive vaccine from the federal government. In Linn County, select Hy-Vee locations and Clark’s Pharmacy are participating pharmacies. Hy-Vee also receives state allocated vaccine. Vaccine administered by these providers are directed by state and federal authorities, and not at the county level.
Beginning March 14, vaccine allocated by the county to local vaccine providers will include the expanded eligibility criteria. Weekly vaccine allocations to Linn County through Linn County Public Health are expected to remain stable through the end of March at approximately 3,500 doses per week. Linn County does not expect to receive any additional Johnson and Johnson vaccine until late March.

Clark’s Pharmacy

Community members may visit www.clarksrxcr.com to add their name to the Clark’s Pharmacy COVID-19 Vaccine Waitlist. An email is not required for submitting your contact information, but a phone number is.

CVS Pharmacy (Select Locations)

Schedule an appointment at CVS as vaccine supply allows. View a registration guide, here.

Eastern Iowa Health Center

EIHC is contacting eligible patients by phone, text, and email to schedule appointments as vaccine supply allows.
Eligible patients and community members may also schedule appointments by calling (319) 730-7300, #6. Learn more, HERE.
Those without an EIHC provider may visit https://easterniowahealthcenter.com/find-a-provider/, or call (319) 730-7300 for assistance.

Hy-Vee Pharmacy (Select Locations)

Schedule an appointment as vaccine supply allows.

Mercy Cedar Rapids

Mercy Cedar Rapids is contacting a list of Mercy and MercyCare patients with MyChart as vaccine supply allows.
Eligible patients and community members may also visit mercycare.org/covidvaccine to schedule appointments as vaccine supply allows. Patients without access to a computer may call (319) 369-4604 for assistance.
Those without a Mercy Cedar Rapids provider may visit https://www.mercycare.org/doctors/clinics/find-a-doc/#form, or call (319) 369-4444 for assistance.

Unity Point Health-Cedar Rapids

Unity Point Health-Cedar Rapids is contacting primary care patients by mail, phone, and text as vaccine supply allows.
Eligible patients experiencing technical difficulties may call (319) 730-9439.
Those without a Unity Point provider may visit unitypoint.org/findadoctor, or call (319) 558-4858 for assistance.

Walgreens Pharmacy (Select Locations)

Schedule an appointment at Walgreens as vaccine supply allows. View the registration guide, here.

Beware of Scams

Our local area agency on aging reported a scam in Iowa where someone calls to offer older Iowans the opportunity to buy a ticket to guarantee a space on the waiting list. The FBI has also warned the public to be aware of activities that indicate fraudulent activity. Learn more.

I Still Need Help Finding or Scheduling an Appointment

The state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Information Dashboard, and Vaccinate Iowa, is updated as new information becomes available.
Frequently check your healthcare provider’s website for information and instructions for scheduling appointments. If you do not have a primary care provider, Linn County Public Health can help. You may call (319) 892-6097 for assistance with locating a vaccine provider.