Patients 65+ Asked to Call in on COVID-19 Request Line

The Madelia Community Hospital & Clinic (MCHC) is now asking people over the age of 65 to phone our COVID-19 Vaccine Request Line if they are still in need of the vaccine. The number to call is 507.642.5214. This number will be answered by an automated voice mail system, and callers will be asked to leave their name, phone number, and date of birth on the recording. When MCHC has vaccine available, these callers will be phoned to set up an appointment.

Initially MCHC had planned to call our older patients directly for COVID-19 vaccine appointments, but that has proven to be a daunting task. Many have already received the vaccine from another health care entity, or are difficult to reach. We are vaccinating patients based on age, starting with our oldest patients, and continuing down the list until we get to those that have just turned 65. After we have completed vaccinating this group, we will move on to the next phase.

The State of Minnesota allocates limited quantities of the vaccine to facilities like MCHC, but we do not know how much or what kind of vaccine will be supplied until three to four days before it arrives. The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, 21 days apart; the Moderna vaccine requires two doses, 28 days apart. The patient needs to be available for two appointments to receive both doses of the vaccine.

MCHC is not the only medical entity administering vaccines. If you are contacted by another health care system, by the state or county first, we encourage you to get the vaccine as soon as possible. Please do not make appointments with two different entities.

The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were received by MCHC in December. Since then we have vaccinated MCHC caregivers, Madelia police, ambulance, and fire departments, school staff in Madelia and Lake Crystal and many of our oldest patients. We encourage patients to watch our Facebook page and our website www.mchospital.org for the latest information and announcements regarding vaccine distribution.

Concerns about the vaccine’s effectiveness and side effects have been minimal. Among the MCHC caregivers already vaccinated, side effects were rare and not serious. The risks of COVID-19 far outweigh any risk from the vaccine.