COVID-19 Vaccine Update from the City of Watertown, WRMC and Area Providers
January 22, 2021
Watertown, WI - The City of Watertown, Watertown Regional Medical Center and local health institutions, including Meade Medical Clinic and Watertown Family Practice, would like to applaud the community for their interest and intent to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We would also like to thank you for your continued patience during this time as guidelines for distribution are changing rapidly.
At this time, we remain in the process of distributing COVID-19 vaccines based on the phased approach developed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). Currently, we are in phase “1A” of the distribution process. This group includes healthcare workers, first responders, and residents of long-term care facilities. On January 19, 2021, the Wisconsin DHS announced that residents aged 65 and older will be added to this group and are eligible to receive the vaccine beginning on January 25, 2021.
“As community leaders, we are excited to begin vaccinating this vulnerable population against this deadly disease,” said Mayor Emily McFarland. “Although the process of signing-up to receive the vaccine will differ between our local institutions, the goal remains the same, to vaccinate as many people as we can in a short amount of time.”
The Watertown Health Department will be hosting weekly vaccination clinics for people who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. Upon confirmation of vaccine availability, registration for each week’s available appointments will be on Monday’s at 6:00 PM through an online portal located at www.ci.watertown.wi.us/covid-19_community_updates. The City will soon announce a 1-800-number that will assist citizens in understanding vaccine availability and distribution.
Local healthcare organizations, including Watertown Regional Medical Center, Meade Medical Clinic and Watertown Family Practice, will be distributing vaccines to eligible patients through their primary care physicians. They will be reaching out to patients directly when the COVID-19 vaccine is available to them. Watertown Family Practice is planning on distributing vaccines to those who are already registered as patients at their clinic, and information about vaccine availability and a sign-up form is on their clinic website.
With information changing rapidly, your best and most timely source of information about the local COVID-19 vaccine distribution process remains reliable internet sites including the City of Watertown and Watertown Regional Medical Center websites and Facebook pages. Please visit the City of Watertown and Watertown Regional Medical Center websites and Facebook pages for up-to-date information. If you don’t have access to the internet, try to partner with someone who does or reach out to local resources like the Watertown Senior and Community Center, and they will work to assist you in getting connected to the information.
If you have questions about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, we encourage you to continue to learn about it from fact-based sources, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC. If you are currently experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 and would like to be tested, please contact your health care provider.