OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Health Department is scheduling appointments for homebound residents to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

“The vaccine supplied by the state has allowed us to start vaccinating homebound residents,” said Vera Dunsmoor, RN, BSN, MSNE, director of patient services for the Oswego County Health Department. “To make it as efficient as possible, the appointments are scheduled based on residents’ locations and the number of people who have signed up. We want to make sure that our nurses can administer all vaccine doses in a vial. We don’t want a single dose to go unused.”

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, a person is considered homebound if they are unable to leave their home without help, or without a considerable amount of effort.

People who meet the criteria may call the health department’s COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330 to be placed on a waiting list. The hotline is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“This is an important expansion of the pandemic response in our community,” said Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang. “I want to thank our nurses and other support staff for their extra efforts in coordinating and implementing this complicated operation. I also ask residents for their understanding and cooperation to make this program as efficient as possible. If you can go grocery shopping with help, then please come to one of our scheduled clinics. By visiting a clinic, you are helping to save the county’s limited resources and our nursing staff’s time.”

Huang reminds residents that the COVID-19 virus is still active in Oswego County. “We all need to do everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” he said. “Regardless of age and vaccination status, everyone must continue to wear a mask, social distance, wash hands frequently and avoid non-essential gatherings.”

For vaccination information and to register for the county’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics, visit https://health.oswegocounty.com/information/2019_novel_coronavirus/covid-19_vaccine.php.

HELPING THE HOMEBOUND – Nursing staff from the Oswego County Health Department has launched its homebound vaccination program. It’s a complex operation to ensure efficient distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. People who meet the criteria can call the health department’s COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330 to be placed on a waiting list. The hotline is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pictured is resident Billie Johnson being vaccinated by Penny Murphy Potter, RN.