Vast majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients at Reid Health aren’t up to date on vaccinations

Jan. 6, 2023 -- Although this winter has yet to see a spike in COVID-19 cases like those of the past two years, the virus continues to circulate and cause severe illness in some people, particularly those who are not up to date on their vaccinations.

Reid Health recently recorded the 400^th death from COVID-19 at the hospital since the start of the pandemic. Over the past seven weeks, the average number of COVID-positive patients in the hospital has been about 11 a day. Nearly all those patients have not been up to date on their vaccinations.

Being up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines means you've received all the doses recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That includes the primary series of whatever vaccine you initially chose as well as any booster shots for which you're eligible.

Reid patients who would like to receive their FREE initial series of shots or a FREE booster should call their primary care provider or Reid's COVID-19 Hotline at (765) 965-4200 to schedule a time. The hotline is available 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

It can be a little confusing trying to keep track of whether you're eligible for a booster or how many boosters you should get. The answers depend on several factors. To help, the CDC has created a simple tool you can use.

Through a series of questions about your age (or your child's), how many doses you've had so far, and how long it's been since your last shot, the tool will tell you if you're up to date or if you should make a point of getting another shot.

Reid patients who would like to receive their FREE initial series of shots or a FREE booster should call their primary care provider or Reid's COVID-19 Hotline at (765) 965-4200 to schedule a time. The hotline is available 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

You can find other nearby vaccination sites and schedule a time at those locations by going to vaccines.gov.