IOWA, USA — FAST FACTS:
- All Iowans can schedule a vaccine appointment over the phone by calling 2-1-1
- As of March 24, all Iowa adults are eligible for a vaccine appointment
- Not all counties are vaccinating residents at the same pace
- vaccinate.iowa.gov is a statewide vaccine information website to find providers and locations
- VaccineFinder.org is a tool created by national partners to help find vaccine availability across the United States by zip code
- Iowans are stepping up to help find vaccine appointments
Have a question about the vaccines or vaccination process? Text Local 5 at 515-457-1026 or send us an email!
May 12 Update
The CDC endorsed the use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in kids as young as 12 on Wednesday. Pharmacies across the nation said they are ready to start vaccinating them.
Walgreens told Local 5 parents can schedule their kid's appointment online. Same-day appointments will also be available either online, through Walgreens' app, over the phone or in-store starting Thursday. Appointments can be made up to 30 minutes before the desired appointment time.
CVS began administering shots to the newly eligible group on Thursday as well. CVS said parental or legal guardian consent is required and kids must be accompanied by an adult for their appointment.
Hy-Vee told Local 5 they'll be accepting walk-in appointments for kids 12-15 starting Thursday. They're also asking parents to accompany their child to the appointment. Parents will need to complete a consent form.
Census data doesn't break down population estimates year-by-year, but they do provide estimates for age ranges.
There are about 242,000 Iowans ages 10 to 15, so that means we're opening up the Pfizer vaccine to a large chunk of this number right here.
This time Friday, 12-year-old Gretta Secory will be vaccinated.
"I think it's a good opportunity for me to be able to be immunized against the virus,” Gretta said.
Gretta's mom, Jaime, said she did a risk analysis on having Gretta get the shot and decided the benefits outweigh the risks health-wise and feel it'll help get the state back to normal quicker.
"One, they're really anxious to get back to pre-pandemic life as quickly as possible,” Jaime said. “Also, we think it's really important to demonstrate to our kids' responsibility for their community members and our job to help protect those around us who won't have the option to vaccinate."
Hy-Vee is now offering walk-in appointments for Iowans to get their vaccine. Last updated on April 27, the grocer's vaccine website now says, "Vaccines available at all Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations with no appointment necessary."
Walk-ins started on April 28.
Christina Gayman, a spokeswoman for Hy-Vee, said those who already have their second dose scheduled should keep their appointment at the same location they got their first dose.
Walk-ins will be asked if they want to schedule their second dose appointment at the time of their first dose, or the pharmacy will call them a few days before they are due for their second dose.
All Iowans can schedule a vaccine by calling 2-1-1, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced on April 21.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have recommended a "pause" in administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine after reports of blood clots in six women.
"With the announcement [Tuesday morning], the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has advised that all Iowa vaccine providers pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine until more details are confirmed," IDPH said in a statement.
Webster County Public Health confirms to Local 5 that a single-dose vaccination clinic scheduled for Wednesday has been canceled.
The University of Northern Iowa vaccine clinic scheduled for this week has also been canceled.
"No J&J vaccine has been administered on campus," the school said in a statement. "[Tuesday] was the only day this week that the J&J vaccine was scheduled to be used. Students, faculty and staff who registered for the remaining days this week will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine."
Iowa State University has also canceled its vaccine clinic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Latest vaccination clinics
Local 5 will compile some of the newest announced mass vaccination clinics at the top of this story. For county-by-county information, scroll down below to the Iowa Department of Public Health map.
Carroll County
Carroll County Public Health released the following information on a mass vaccination clinics this week
- Thursday, April 15 (1,000 Moderna first doses); second dose scheduled for Friday, May 14
- 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (both dates)
- Westgate Mall in Carroll (West Entrance on Carroll Street)
- Another clinic will be hosted Saturday, April 17 at St. Anthony Clinic in Carroll
- Click here to sign up for an appointment
University of Northern Iowa
UNI will begin administering vaccines Tuesday to students, faculty and staff who have registered for one of the four West Gym clinic locations.
The clinics will continue through Friday, and registration emails for all eligible groups on campus went out last week.
“Vaccines are enhancing our community’s continued fight against COVID-19, and we are glad to play a role by offering vaccinations for our students and employees,” President Mark A. Nook said in a statement. “This is another important step as we all prepare for the safe, in-person return of activities we enjoy, and for a great year ahead at UNI.”
1,600 doses are expected to be administered this week.
“Vaccinating students is one of our top priorities, and we hope to vaccinate hundreds before they return home at the end of the semester,” Student Health Center Shelley O’Connell said.
To make the vaccine scheduling process simpler, keep the following things in mind:
Do
- Only book one appointment
- Frequently check websites for appointments because they open up sporadically
- Keep an eye on stores social media pages for vaccine appointment updates
- Check one of the websites above or Vaccine Hunter's for information about available appointments
- Have your information ready when scheduling appointments
Don't
- Book more than one appointment
- Plan on getting your second dose (if applicable) at a different location
- Call unless you are unable to use or access a computer
WATCH: Brian Finley of 'Iowa Vaccine Alerts' on expanded vaccine eligibility
Where to get vaccinated
The Iowa Department of Public Health dashboard below lists every vaccine provider available in each county with just a click/tap.
Local 5 has also compiled links to central Iowa county public health departments and other information to know before getting vaccinated.
NOTE: Iowans looking to get vaccinated are advised to contact their county health department and not individual clinics or facilities in order to keep phone lines clear and vaccine schedules updated. Primary care physicians are allowed to directly contact patients to schedule a vaccine appointment.
Various Providers
Boone County
Boone County residents who are eligible for the vaccine will be able to get their shot through Boone County Public Health and Boone County Hospital.
The county has a Facebook page for residents to refer to for the latest updates on vaccine allocation and COVID-19 activity.
Those eligible to schedule an appointment can call 515-433-8299 (VAXX). Every Wednesday at 8 a.m., the county opens its vaccine phone line for folks to schedule their appointments or sign up to be on their waitlist.
Residents can also register online by clicking/tapping here.
Boone County expects the biggest issue with expanded availability to be vaccine supply not keeping up with demand. To help, the health department asks residents to remove their names from the county's vaccine wait list if they found an appointment elsewhere.
"Either sign up for one or please take the courtesy of once you get from one place, take the courtesy of going and taking your names off of the other lists, so that we can provide that vaccine to someone else," said Dr. Brian Mehlhaus with the Boone County Board of Health.
Dallas County
Dallas County residents have several locations to get vaccinated: four Hy-Vee locations, the Adel Health Mart Pharmacy and the Medicap Pharmacy in Dallas Center.
Appointments can be made online or by phone (515-993-3750).
Those scheduling an appointment with the health department should note that scheduling opens at 12 p.m. on Fridays for the following week.
Here is the list with links to schedule an appointment:
- Dallas County Health Department (or call 515-993-3750)
- Hy-Vee Waukee
- Hy-Vee Westlakes
- Hy-Vee West Des Moines
- Walgreens — Clive
- Exemplar Care (call 515-650-4370)
- Medicap — Perry
- Adel Health Mart Pharmacy
Jasper County
The Jasper County Public Health website lists three locations for individuals 65 and older to get vaccinated and those 64 and below with underlying health conditions.
"Jasper County still has very limited vaccine supply available," the website says. "We will continue to work with our community partners to get our allocated vaccines out to those eligible. Please be patient as plans are changing often."
Appointments can be made at the Medicap Pharmacy in Newton by clicking/tapping this link.
Hy-Vee is also administering shots in the county. Click/tap here to schedule.
The Newton Clinic is also administering vaccines in Jasper County. For information about the clinic's vaccine, text covidimm to 641-792-2112.
More updates can be found on the department's Facebook page.
Phone number: 641-787-9224 (Multilingual line: 1-877-558-2609)
Madison County
The Madison County Public Health department is updating residents on vaccine information on their website.
The department routinely posts to Facebook and Twitter with more information on eligibility in the county.
Phone number: 515-462-9051
Marion County
Marion County Public Health (641-828-2238) is hosting first-dose-only Moderna vaccination clinics the week of April 5 at the following times and locations:
- Tuesday, April 6, 2021 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Marion County Public Health Department, 2003 North Lincoln, Knoxville
- Thursday, April 8, 2021 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Marion County Public Health Department, 2003 North Lincoln, Knoxville
- Wednesday, April 7, 2021 from 1-4:30 p.m. at the Pleasantville Fire Station
These clinics are only for those who live or work in Marion County.
A second-dose clinic is also being held Saturday, April 10 at Dyer Hudson Hall on the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville. Those due for their second dose will receive a text message from the Marion County Public Health Department.
For assistance with scheduling an appointment call 641-828-2238. Once all appointments are filled a notification will be posted onto the following websites:
A schedule of clinic dates and locations will be released on Mondays here.
Polk County
Polk County updates its website regularly to reflect who is eligible.
Here is a list of providers with links to schedule an appointment:
Story County
Story County (515-239-6730 or 800-529-4610) posts updates online and on the Mary Greeley Medical Center Facebook page.
Warren County
Warren County Health Services (515-961-1074) has an online OneDrive folder with important information on COVID-19 vaccinations for the county.
Residents can also keep tabs on vaccine information by checking the department's Facebook page.