Snowy Roads Won’t Stop SWOSU Vaccine Clinic

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February 18, 2021

By News Director Jared Atha

Despite recent snow, tomorrow’s (Friday, Feb. 19) COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s Pioneer Cellular Event Center (700 N. Seventh Street) will still take place.

In a press release, SWOSU is working to clear parking lots, and the City of Weatherford is clearing main roads to the center.

All vaccine appointments are set up through the online portal of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The clinics should continue Fridays for several months at SWOSU.

SWOSU College of Pharmacy Rural Health Center Coordinator Randy Curry encourages everyone to sign up on the OSDH scheduler, and it will place everyone in the appropriate category for vaccines.

Residents coming to the Pioneer Cellular Event Center should enter through the west doors. Appointments are required. Masks and social distancing are required.

SWOSU faculty and students from the College of Pharmacy, School of Nursing and School of Allied Health—as well as many volunteers from SWOSU— have been assisting with the Oklahoma State Department of Health clinics.

Since the clinics began at SWOSU on January 8, a total of 4,590 vaccinations were given. Last Friday there were 1,400 appointments scheduled at the SWOSU clinic, however officials say due to the extreme cold temperatures that had set in, around 800 shots were administered.

Oklahoma is currently still in its Phase 2 portion of its vaccine rollout plan that includes Oklahomans who are 65 and older and first responders. However, last week Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that the state is opening up the next priority groups within Phase 2 of the plan, this includes pre-K through 12 teachers and school staff along with Oklahomans with comorbidities under the age of 65.

This next group should be opened to be eligible for the vaccine on Monday.